Comme Les Fleurs Du Mal
by Genma no Ou
Summary: The war with the Dark Signers is over... but Aki still has to overcome her own demons before she destroys herself. And who better to help her with inner darkness, than someone who's been there? Rated M for content and language. Enjoi.
1. Will I Ever be Free?

**Disclaimer**: The following piece is in no way a claim to ownership of the depicted characters. Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh R, Yu-Gi-Oh GX and Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's are owned by TV Tokyo, Konami Corporation and Kazuki Takahashi. The song with which this fanfiction document shares its name is the property of Sarah Brightman. This story as presented is strictly for entertainment purposes, both for its owner and readers.

**Chapter 1 – "Will I ever be Free?" The Night the Darkness Came**

Lying alone in the spare bed of Judai's loft, Aki stared up at the ceiling as she thought about the man's generosity. Her own apartment was not yet within her ownership, so Judai was letting her stay at his place until she did. And to her, the large penthouse Judai paid for with money from his pro dueling career, made her feel truly safe and comfortable.

Hearing the door creak open, the girl noticed the crack of light from the hall because it contrasted the blackness of her room. Standing in the doorway was Judai, smiling at the girl to keep her in a positive state of mind. The two of them both needed it in the aftermath of everything that had occurred.

It had been 3 months since the incident with Darkness and Godwin. The pentagram on Aki's forehead had healed over, and she had grown closer to everybody around her. She had begun dating Yusei, but she still also had some sexual tension with the Spirit-wielding Pro Duelist.

"How are you doing?" Judai asked, entering the room slowly. Aki had been suffering from pneumonia for the past couple of weeks – she'd been almost confined to bed.

"I'm managing," the girl replied hoarsely. "My, uh…" she swallowed. Her mouth was dry from the antibiotics. "My breathing is a little slow… but I'll be fine." With a concerned look now showing on Judai's face, she added, "Really I'll be fine."

"Well," Judai nodded, "If you need any help we'll be downstairs." Smiling, Aki turned her head off to one side and closed her eyes as Judai turned around and stepped out the door.

Closing it behind him, he walked down the stairs to the common room, where Yusei, Jack, Crow, Johan and Manjyoume sat at a round table with a deck of playing cards in the middle. "How's Aki doing?" Yusei asked solemnly.

Stepping over to an empty chair and taking a seat Judai replied, "She says she'll be fine." Picking up the deck of cards in the middle, he began to shuffle them as Yubel's spirit image appeared beside him. Johan and Manjyoume could see her, but because the three from Satellite could not she said nothing, simply standing there as Judai finished shuffling and dealt 2 cards out to everyone.

"500," Crow called, tossing 5 red chips into the centre. Jack and Johan threw in the same amount, but when it got to Manjyoume he picked up a white chip instead.

"Raise: 1000." Tossing the white chip in the middle, Yusei and Judai did the same while the others tossed in 5 more red each.

Ever since the craziness of the events that had unfolded, everyone had needed some sort of way to get away from Duel Monsters every now and again. Poker offered a good outlet; a card game that was about luck – and the ability to see that luck. Yusei had the best poker face – absolute stoicism.

Picking up the deck, Judai pulled the top card and put it face-down on the table. After that, he pulled three new cards and put them up: 10 of Diamonds, 8 of Spades, Ace of Diamonds. "Pretty spread-out cards," he observed, putting the deck down. Looking at his own 2, he saw that his odds were good.

"Indeed," Johan noted, smiling slightly as he checked over his own hand. Normally smiling is a bad idea in poker, but with Johan's usual cheery attitude a small grin was meaningless. Manjyoume chucked his cards into the centre – 6 and 5 of clubs.

Crossing his arms over his chest and scowling he said, "I fold. Damn cards. Never seems to go my way."

"Could be worse," Crow pointed out. "You coulda gone for a straight. 1500."

"Somebody's got good cards," Jack noted, tossing 1500 into the centre before Johan and Yusei did the same.

"_Or they're bluffing,"_ Yubel pointed out. Crow put out a pretty proud-looking face, but Yubel and Judai could both tell his face wasn't quite right – he was almost too happy.

"Oy, don't try and interfere with the game," Manjyoume declared.

"She's not helping me," Judai pointed out, receiving a nod from Johan. Since three of them couldn't hear Yubel, Judai needed someone else's verification to defend anything she said. "2500," he added, putting in 2 white chips and 5 red ones.

"Fold," Yusei issued, tossing in his own cards face-down.

"What are you, a coward?" Jack asked jokingly, placing in another white chip. However, when Judai flipped over the next card – an Ace of Spades – Jack stared at the card shocked as Yusei smirked slightly.

"No, just smart." Putting his hand down on the table, Jack stood up and walked over to Judai's liquor cabinet to grab a bottle of sake while Crow also dropped his hand.

"Just you and me now," Johan pointed out as Judai burnt one more card, then flipped one over. It was the King of Diamonds. Not showing his true thoughts, Judai realized the hand he had been dealt and saw Johan reach for an entire stack of chips.

"10,000," Johan declared. Whistling, Crow showed that he thought Johan was making a bold move. Clearly he had something good, otherwise he wouldn't bet so high – but he wanted the game to go on, and he was too cautious to go all in.

"Think your hand is so good?" Judai declared. "Let's test that theory. Raise: 25,000." Picking up a single black chip, he tossed it in with a flick of his wrist as though he was tossing a coin. "If it's that good, you'll see my bet; if not, you'll fold."

"I'm wise to your tricks," Johan said, taking back his white chips to put in a back one – right before he put his hand down. Ace of Clubs and Ace of Diamonds. "Four aces."

"Whoa," Yusei said in surprise, one of the few times he did so.

"Holy shit!" Crow yelled out as Jack returned. "You've been sitting on two aces and you just saw the bets in play?"

"It's an old trick of psychology," Judai verified. "Get the opponent overconfident so they raise their own bet. They'd never see it coming. Unless of course, they've known you as long as I have."

"Just knowing what I'm doing doesn't change my cards," Johan smirked. "Only two things beat four Aces."

"How right you are," Judai tilted his head. Quickly flipping over his cards, a Queen and a Jack of Diamonds, Johan's grin quickly turned to a complete look of stunned defeat. "And a Royal Straight is one of them."

"You just got lucky," Manjyoume grunted.

"_Maybe,"_ Yubel responded as Judai took the chips, _"but even being lucky isn't good enough to win if you don't play your cards right."_

-------------------------------------

Sleeping up in her room, Aki was in a veil of darkness that gave her safely from the outside world – no pain, no cold, no evil. She was completely at peace. In her dream she walked through a hedge maze of roses dressed in a red satin gown, surrounded by the bright sunny day her mind had created.

Stepping up to a purple rose in the garden, she grabbed it with her index finger and thumb, plucking it and bringing it up to her nose. The flower smelled as sweet as the very nectar of life itself. But, seconds later, the rose turned black without any warning. Dropping it, she saw a black fog-like fluid shoot off from it in all directions, forming into Duel Zombies all around her.

"_What is this?"_ she thought to herself as the sky turned dark. Her duel disc appeared on her arm as her day clothes appeared on her body, and soon she remembered what this was.

A feint growling echoed around her, making the Duel Zombies back away suddenly. Stepping into the shadows, she saw their forms disappeared into the darkness and change into the fluid blackness.

"Izayoi Aki…" Aki heard a voice echo out; a low, deep voice with malice and power in it. Turning around slowly, she noticed a whirlpool-like body of shadows on the ground that erupted into a geyser of black fluid, from which the form of a gigantic robed figure.

"Who… are you…?" Aki whispered out. In her dreams she could not speak in any way but a tranquil whisper, but she remembered that she had gasped out this line in terror last time. She had needed to keep herself from screaming.

"I am the Darkness…" the figure answered as it took form. Standing at about 40 feet tall, the grey and black robes with red interior and gold trim were around a gigantic skeletal figure with a draconian face and glowing blue eyes. "My identity holds the true destiny of this world."

"Destiny?" Aki questioned softly.

"Indeed. The human world has become a corrupt wasteland strewn with the darkness in the hearts of humanity. My role is to clean this world of its impurities, in whatever way is necessary."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"As a Signer, you hold one of the powers of justice upon this planet, but you are too weak to use it to its full power. Therefore, I shall take it from you and cleanse this world with it." As if on cue, five jets of black fluid erupted from the figure's back and erupted into five wing-like structures, and then five gigantic cards formed from darkness in front of him, facing away from Aki.

"You duel?" Aki questioned. As if his knowledge of the Signers were not profound enough, this demonic figure possessed the ability to produce cards.

"I use the ancient forces," Darkness explained. "The power of Duel Monsters' origin is the spawning force of this world." Not acknowledging with words, Aki pulled 5 cards and both said,

"DUEL!"

Aki: LP 4000

Darkness: LP 4000

"It is my turn first," Darkness declared as a sixth card appeared before him. "I summon Darkness Seed in Defence Position (DEF: 1000)." One of the cards flipped around and instantly disintegrated into darkness, and then a spout of black fluid erupted from the ground. From they emerged a grebe-brown-coloured stock with two blade-like leaves and a blue bulbous head with many eyes and spikes mounted on brown leaves.

"What…" Aki questioned As its whole body turned blue, "…is that monster?"

"The Darkness cards are forged directly from the darkness in the hearts of man," Darkness explained. "I set three cards." Three of the cards from in front of him also disintegrated into blackness and reappeared behind the plant monster. "Turn concluded."

"Draw!" Aki declared. "I summon Night-Rose Knight (ATK: 1000)!" In front of Aki formed a purple-armoured light-skinned warrior figure wielding a small sword. "And when she is successfully summoned, from my hand I Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Plant-type monster. I select Lord Poison (ATK: 1500)!"

Beside the purple-armoured warrior emerged a grey-coloured figure with many spikes jutting from its body.

"I see," Darkness declared. "You intend to Synchro Summon your Signer Dragon: Black Rose Dragon."

"How do you know…?"

"Izayoi Aki, the Black Rose Witch," Darkness stated. "You are responsible for some of my power; after all, you created darkness in people's hearts with fear and anger, while your own inner turmoil fed me as well. I look forward to taking the power of that Dragon."

Growing slightly angry, Aki yelled, "You want Black Rose Dragon? You've got it; I Tune my Level 3 Night-Rose Knight to my Level 4 Lord Poison!" The purple and white warrior drew her sword, which released 3 white orbs of light from the blade before her image faded out. Those orbs changed into green rings, surrounding the grey creature and changing it into 4 more orbs, then into a vertical column of light.

"Cold burning flames, engulf this world," Aki began to chant. "Pitch-dark flower, set into bloom. Synchro Summon! Come forth, Black Rose Dragon (ATK: 2400)!" From the light emerged a dragonic beast with a flower-shaped body of petals and matching wings, with black thorny scales making up its neck, tail and legs.

"Your emblem of the Signers," Darkness observed as his eyes quickly flashed brighter than normal.

"I activate Black Rose Dragon's effect," Aki declared, noticing her voice was now at normal volume. "By excluding the Lord Poison in my Cemetery, I change Darkness Seed to Attack Position and make its ATK 0!" As the card slid from Aki's Graveyard, a translucent form of the grey monster rose up into the jaws of the dragon, where it bit down on it and released thorny tentacles. These brambles wrapped around the plant monster, changing it back to normal colours as its power dropped.

"A clever trick Izayoi Aki," Darkness declared, "but this duel is not yet won."

"Black Rose Dragon, attack Darkness Seed! Black Rose Flare!" The red and black dragon released purple flames with rose petals in them at the plant, burning it to ash and setting the ground at Darkness' field ablaze. The dark deity growled out in contempt as his Life Points fell.

Aki: LP 4000

Darkness: LP 1600

"I set one card and end my turn." As the flames fell, Darkness stopped growling and the card appeared before Aki.

"Then it is my turn," Darkness declared as another card materialized to his row of hand cards, then spun around. "Field Magic, activate! Come forth, Darkness!" Out from the card began to spill a torrent of shadows that blanketed the field and formed a dome around the duelists. "When this card is activated, I destroy every card in my Magic & Trap Card Zones, then set 5 Trap Cards from my Deck."

The three cards at Darkness' feet all shattered, and soon the black fog materialized 5 new ones. "But that doesn't make any sense," Aki declared. "You just destroyed three cards you never tried to activate."

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong," Darkness declared, positioning his hand in front of him as the transparent images of three Trap Cards appeared before him. "At this moment, I activate the three cards I destroyed."

"That's impossible!" Aki shot back. "Not only are your cards destroyed, you have no free Magic & Trap Card Zones!"

"These three Trap Cards have effects that activate when destroyed by the effect of Darkness." A huge expression of shock washed over Aki's face as each of the cards lit up. Continuing, the Dark God added, "and each one has its effect multiplied by the number of cards destroyed. Activate: Darkness Idol, Darkness Drain, Darkness Altar."

"And what do these cards do?"

"First off," Darkness informed at the first card glowed brightly, "Darkness Idol lets me draw 1 card for every destroyed card." Three cards appeared into Darkness' hand as he laughed darkly, Aki grunting at the idea he drew 3 cards for free.

"Next, Darkness Drain costs you 1000 Life Points for every destroyed card." As the first card disappeared and the second lit up, Aki burst into black flames and screamed out in pain as her Life Points fell.

Aki: LP 1000

Darkness: LP 1600

"And finally," Darkness issued as the second card disappeared and the flames burnt out, "Darkness Altar gives me 3 Darkness Tokens (ATK: 0)." Three orbs of dark matter that each opened a single eerie eye appeared before him as the final card disappeared.

"Three monsters, 3000 damage and 3 draws in one turn!" Aki exclaimed. "But even so, your monsters cannot attack or defend you."

"No, that is true," Darkness agreed. "But even so, they are not useless." A single card in Darkness' hand turned into blackness and spun around as two of the Tokens were consumed by black flames. "By Releasing 2 Darkness Tokens, I advance Summon a monster. Come forth: Dark Tuner – Darkness Worm (ATK: 0)." Up from the ground burst a gigantic worm-like creature covered in spikes that opened a four-part mouth lined with fangs. Along the first three segments of its body opened 8 eyes, all of which fixed on Aki.

"Dark Tuner?!" Aki stammered.

"The symbol of the Dark Signers," Darkness explained. "By using the power of the Underworld amplified by my World, I call upon the powers of Darkness. I Dark Tune my Level 8 Darkness Worm to my Level 1 Darkness Token!"

The eight pupils of the eyes all glowed white as the entire body of it turned to blackness. With a blood-curdling screech, the eight orbs detached and struck the Token's body, piercing into it and negating a single orb inside it. The seven remaining turned black and burst out through the Token's body, spinning around with black electricity until they went vertical and made a column of blackness.

"When the Dark overlaps with the Dark, a gateway is opened up… to a world without Light," Darkness declared. "Dark Synchro. Come forth, Darkness Death (ATK: 3000)." From the light emerged a black cloaked figure with a single glowing eye under its hood, holding a scythe with an eyeball on it in its bony hands.

"A negative Level 7?" Aki issued.

"Darkness Death's battle damage is instead recovered to the Life Points of a player whose monster it destroys," Darkness informed. "In return, I regain 1000 Life Points for every star that monster has. Darkness Death, attack Black Rose Dragon." The dark creature swung its scythe through the dragon, slicing it into pieces as it exploded. Then, both Darkness and Aki recovered Life, although he recovered far more.

Aki: LP 1600

Darkness: LP 8600

"I must at this point conclude my turn," Darkness declared.

"Draw!" Aki declared. "I activate Hand Obliteration, replacing our hands." Aki inserted her hand full of cards into the Cemetery slot and pulled 3 new cards, while Darkness' cards turned to black mist as 4 new ones emerged.

"I activate Ground Smashing, and I destroy Darkness Death!" A huge body of air shaped like a fist smacked into the giant creature, exploding it.

"Very well," Darkness declared.

"I summon Guard Hedge (DEF: 2100)." In front of Aki rose up a beige and brown wall covered in bamboo-like chutes that turned blue. "I set 1 card and end my turn."

"Then it is my turn," Darkness declared as his second card materialized, and then the ground erupted into another geyser of blackness.

"What… what's going on?" Aki yelled out.

"When Darkness Seed is sent to the Graveyard," Darkness explained, "It is Special Summoned to the own field during the following Standby Phase (ATK: 1000)." And sure enough, some of the black ooze took on the shape of the monstrous plant, snarling at the creature before it.

"Next, I release Darkness Seed to Special Summon Darkness Bramble by its own effect." Flipping around, the card of the mentioned monster appeared and turned into dark fog as red and green vines came up and surrounded the existing plant. It was destroyed and the new monster rose up as a twisted mass of thorns and vines with a bulbous head covered in eyes.

"With this monster in play (ATK: 2000)," Darkness revealed, "The Cards I have set with the effect of Darkness cam finally be revealed. With his eyes glowing, he saw that from right to left his cards were Zero, Infinity, Darkness 3, Darkness 1 and Darkness 2. Growling lightly, Aki got hopeful.

"Your cards aren't in the order you want, are they?" She taunted, to which Darkness began to chuckle darkly. "What's so funny?" Aki followed up, sounding worried.

"The monster I have hasn't enough ATK to destroy your monster, but… I can defeat your beast one way or another. Trap Cards Activate: Zero, Infinity!" The two side-by-side cards rose up, and Aki saw their text.

"They do nothing like that."

"No, but at the End Phase Darkness reshuffles them. I summon Darkness Raven (DEF: 0)." Appearing before Darkness was a large black bird-like creature with 4 jagged wings and a serrated beak. It called out ominously before turning blue. "I end the turn." The two face-up Trap Cards reset themselves as they all turned into dark matter, moving around and replacing themselves in random order.

"That's all?" Aki said, working up the nerve to smile confidently. "Then I'll take my turn. Draw!" Pulling her card, Aki looked at it quickly before putting it onto play. "Magic Activate: Avarice Pot!" As this card came into play, the cards for Black Rose Dragon, Night-Rose Knight, Copy Plant, Ivy Wall and Phoenixician Seed slid out of her Cemetery and she held them up. "I now shuffle these cards into my Deck and draw 2 cards."

"You plan to pull the cards you need to defeat my Combo?" Darkness questioned. "If that is your desire, then I have no objection." With that Aki put Black Rose into the Extra Deck compartment and the other 4 on top of the Deck, making the Auto-Shuffler mix the cards. Then, Aki reached slowly before quickly pulling 2 new cards.

"I summon Black Rose Witch (ATK: 1700)!" A black beam of energy rose up that spawned a female figure with purple hair wearing a black dress buttoned with black roses. "And since this monster was Summoned, I now draw a card. Unless it is a monster, I destroy my Witch."

"Gambling in defiance of my Darkness Trap Combo?" Darkness chuckled. "You must truly be desperate."

"We'll see." Pulling yet another card, Aki spun it around to reveal it as Thorn Fairy, a Monster Card.

"So you've succeeded. That still guarantees nothing."

"I wouldn't count on it. Because I drew Thorn Fairy with an effect, I can Special Summon it (ATK: 300)" Slapping the card down, a small pixie-like creature made out of rose vines materialized before her. "Now, I tune my Level 4 Black Rose Witch to my Level 3 Thorn Fairy!"

"What? Synchro Summoning again?" AS Darkness watched, the female witch changed into 4 green rings that turned the pixie into 3 white orbs, fusing them all into a single beam of light.

"The world shall be engulfed by a cold-burning flame," Aki chanted. "Pitch-Dark Flower set into bloom. Synchro Summon! Come forth, Black Rose Dragon (ATK: 2400)!" The light beam once again spawned up the flower-like dragon, but this time in the middle of a squall of rose petals. "And I activate the effect of Black Rose Dragon to destroy all cards on the field."

"This I cannot allow," Darkness bellowed as his black bird rushed the dragon, wrapping its 4 wings around it as it cried out scarily. "By releasing my Darkness Raven, I negate an effect to destroy Darkness cards and draw 1 card." The black bird was shattered by the flying petals, which then died down as Darkness materialized another card.

"_I have to make this next move count. Unless I can take down that little pest Darkness Bramble, I'm stuck."_ "I activate my Card of Death, and draw 5 new cards." With the last card in her hand gone, Aki pulled 5 fresh cards, looking at them quickly before pointing at her set card. "Trap Card Open: Trap Stun!"

"What?" Darkness spat out as lightning shot off of the card that had been played, striking Darkness' set cards and flipping them over. Each one of those cards turned to stone as it did so, and as such their effects were declared null and void.

"Your Trap Cards can't interfere. Magic Card: Riryoku! I halve your Bramble's ATK (ATK: 1000) and add the points lost to my Dragon for this turn (ATK: 3400)!" A powerful light blue flame of energy built up around the vine monster, then leapt off and onto the flower dragon before dying down.

"Black Rose Dragon, attack Darkness Bramble!" Looking at the vine creature before it, the dragon began to build up a gigantic orb of purple flames in its mouth, but unfortunately one of Darkness' cards in his hand spun around.

"Foolish mortal. You became so secure in freezing my Trap Cards that you didn't realize my hand might contain threats. Such as, Darkness Raincrow."

"Effects from the hand?" Aki stammered.

"Exactly. And now, because Darkness Bramble was attacked, I may send Darkness Raincrow from my hand and that Darkness Bramble from my field to the Cemetery. In exchange, from my Deck I Special Summon Darkness Neosphere (ATK: 4000)." The card from Darkness' hand and his plant both burst into a column of black flames that faded to form a dark-coloured lotus.

Up from that spouted a mound of dark-grey slime that morphed into the form of a tall pink-skinned monster with one angel wing, one demon wing, large eyes on its torso and no real face save for a mouth and what appeared to be an eyelid. "4000… ATK?" Aki gasped.

"The attack of Black Rose Dragon is now made invalid. And what's more, Darkness Neosphere allows me to reveal and rearrange my set cards, regardless of Darkness' effect. Traps Activate: Zero, Infinity!" The two cards made themselves known, flipping up Darkness 1 and Darkness 3. "Now, I destroy the opposing monsters!" The Darkness 1 card shot out 2 black flares that struck Aki's monsters, destroying them both.

"I set 4 cards," Aki declared as her last cards went down. "I end my turn." Aki did not notice that in the background, another person was standing behind the wall of darkness that was watching the duel. AS this happened, the 4 face-up Traps Darkness controlled reset and the 5 moved around seemingly at random.

"I draw," Darkness declared.

"Trap Card: Call of the Living Dead! Return, Black Rose Dragon!" Up from the ground in a flurry of flower petals returned Aki's red and black rose dragon. _"All is going according to plan. If he tries to destroy my Black Rose Dragon, I can use Rose Reverse to negate Darkness 1 and destroy that Neosphere. If he attacks, Rose Blast will destroy Darkness Neosphere and end his turn. And finally, my Rose Nightmares can make Black Rose's ATK higher by that of Neosphere's. I'm in a pretty safe spot."_

"You must think your 3 set cards have made you safe," Darkness pointed out. "You think you're so clever, don't you? Your Black Rose Witch façade has worn thin, and your Darkness of Heart has come forth."

"What do you mean?" Aki asked.

"You're scared and alone. You were abandoned by the people who love you. Nobody deserves that." Aki's eyes began to tear slightly as Darkness continued. "Treated as a monster, discarded by your friends… your own father. There is no excuse for that. And your pain… I would think you would want to escape that."

Sobbing, Aki began to tremble as a black fog appeared around her body. "Now I shall release you from that pain. Trap Cards Open: Zero and Infinity!" Appearing at opposite sides of the field, the two Traps opened to the remaining cards: Darkness 1, Darkness 3 and Darkness 2. "I destroy your three set cards!" The Darkness 1 card then shot 3 black flares that struck and destroyed Aki's 3 reversed cards.

"_This... card's be..."_ "Why… why is this happening to me…?"

"Your pain is over," Darkness declared. "Darkness Neosphere, destroy Black Rose Dragon!" Spinning its head around 180 degrees, the scalp of the gigantic monster opened up vertically into an eye that shot a beam of purple energy right through the dragon. When it hit Aki, she was instantly vaporized into the darkness as her dragon roared out in pain.

Aki could only watch as her body was pulled into a deeper chasm of shadows. Around her was no light, and no sound save for the sinister laughter of Darkness. Then, it began to get more and more dull until nothing remained…

***

Bolting up into a standing position from her bed, Aki began to scream and cry in a trembling manner as she walked over into the corner of her room. Still half-asleep and delirious, she thought she saw a dark shadowy figure standing in front of her, laughing at her, and taking the form of Kiryu. Kiryu, whose face Darkness had adorned, and who had kidnapped her after she escaped Rudger.

"Who's trembling now, Black Rose Witch?" his high-pitched cackling voice echoed out as Aki continued blathering. At that moment Yusei and Judai burst in the door, looking rather hurried and worried at Aki's situation, and it was clear that Judai could see whatever Aki saw. Yusei ran to comfort his girlfriend as the spirit said, "Don't try and help her!"

His eyes flashing over into Yubel's orange and green ones, Judai said, "You think I'd let the likes of you stop him?!" With that he ran forward and struck the dark apparition in the chest with his closed fist, making it dissolve and slither out into the night. Turning to Aki, Judai saw Yusei catch her as she collapsed in hysterics, her black nightgown soaked with her cold sweat and her eyes red from her tears.

"Aki…" Yusei gasped out worriedly as the others appeared in the doorway. None of them said anything, partly because they understood it was a serious situation and partly because Judai motioned to tell them to be quiet. "Aki… are you alright? What happened?"

Aki couldn't answer. She had stopped screaming, but she was still crying and sobbing in such fear and terror that she could not speak. She seemed drained of all energy, and Yusei had to help her to her feet. Clearly concerned for her well-being, Yusei motioned to Jack and said, "Give me your coat." Nodding, Jack ripped off the white trench coat to reveal a black sleeveless shirt and his fairly-muscled form; and he tossed it to Yusei, who wrapped it around Aki.

"She's had some sort of nightmare, evidently," Judai deduced, receiving a light nod from the frightened girl. "Whatever that thing was, it was at least partly responsible for…" His sentence was interrupted by a flow of more dark energy out of Aki's nightstand drawer. "Don't touch it!" he told Yusei when he reached for it, and so instead he took Aki aside as Judai approached it instead.

"What the hell's going on?" Crow asked as Judai opened the drawer and pulled out Aki's Deck. The black energy was flowing out from it, which made it clear to Judai what was going on.

"Damn it, not this again!" he said as his eyes flashed brightly, exorcising the black flow from the deck into the form of another spirit, which was instantly obliterated. Closing his eyes, his original irises reappeared as he opened them and said, "Her deck, and possibly her spirit, is polluted with darkness from her being dragged into the World of Darkness."

"What?" Yusei asked in shock as Johan and Manjyoume both cringed, since they knew exactly what he meant.

"When Darkness pulls someone into his world," Johan explained, "he brings their greatest fears and turmoil to the surface. That's how be preys on people. He must have done that to her."

"Then what do we do?" Jack asked.

"Until I can know for sure," Judai said with a defeated sigh, "we keep watch over her."

**Card of the Week – Darkness**

**Darkness Death **_**(Ankoku Kami – Dakunesu no Shinigami**_**/**_**Dark God – Darkness Death God)**_

**Level: -**7

**Attribute:** DARK

**Type(s):** [Fiend/Dark Synchro/Effect]

**Effect:** 1 [Darkness] non-Tuner monster – 1 Dark Tuner Monster

In order to summon this card, you must subtract the Level of the Dark Tuner Monster from the Level of the non-Tuner Monster to equal this card's Level. When this card destroys a monster by battle, any Battle Damage is instead recovered to your opponent's Life Points. Then, recover Life Points equal to its Level x1000.

**ATK: **3000

**DEF: **0

*A shorter staring chapter for a minfic. It will get better, I promise. Review if you wish.*


	2. I'm Trying Hard to Fight

**Disclaimer**: The following piece is in no way a claim to ownership of the depicted characters. Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh R, Yu-Gi-Oh GX and Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's are owned by TV Tokyo, Konami Corporation and Kazuki Takahashi. The song with which this fanfiction document shares its name is the property of Sarah Brightman. This story as presented is strictly for entertainment purposes, both for its owner and readers.

**Chapter 2 – "I'm Trying Hard to Fight," The Mark of the Spider's Bite**

The night ended all-too-soon. Aki sat propped up on her pillows, her knees under her chin and her arms around her bent legs. Staring out the window, she could only stare of as the sun came up, and when that happened it cast light onto a figure standing in the doorway.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked in a melancholy tone, not even looking away from the sunrise.

"Long enough to know to know you haven't slept all night…" the figure responded.

"Then neither have you."

"I don't always sleep at night," Judai revealed, stepping into the room and sitting down on the bed next to her. "Lots of memories I'd rather not have come back to me."

"What could someone have possibly done to _you_ to make you feel like this?" the girl asked, looking over at the brown-and-red-haired man. In response, Judai merely looked down at the bed and sighed.

"It's not what was done to me…" he finally said after Aki began to be intrigued. "…It's what I did."

"You think you understand how I feel just because you were rude to one of your friends?" Aki then asked in disbelief, receiving a headshake as an answer.

"I'm responsible for the slaughter of thousands of lives in the alternate dimensions," Judai responded. "As the Supreme King, I sacrificed thousands of Duel Spirits to forge Super Fusion…"

Unfolding and extending out her limbs, the pink-haired girl merely grabbed his limp hand and said, "I'm so sorry… that kind of guilt…"

"I don't want you being concerned with something like my problems," was the man's reply, sounding slightly colder than he's intended. "You have plenty of worries of your own." At that point tears started to flow down the girl's face, and she embedded her face into his chest as she hugged him for comfort.

As he patted her on the back to help calm her, Yusei stepped into the room. Clearing his throat, he said with a somewhat hostile tone, "Judai, a word please." Getting up from the bed, Judai let go of Aki before both he and Yusei stepped out into the hallway.

"Listen," Yusei said, making it clear he was serious, "I understand that you're just trying to help out, and I appreciate, but watch it."

Slightly confused, Judai raised an eyebrow and said, "Excuse me?"

"Aki is my girlfriend," Yusei firmly stated, clearly implying something.

"I respect that," Judai replied calmly. "I'm just trying to help you take care of her."

"You were watching her all night."

"It's my penthouse," Judai answered. "I can do what I want here."

"This isn't just trying to be helpful," Yusei flatly stated. "So just cut the crap and come clean."

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about."

"I won't let you take Aki away from me."

"You don't honestly think that…"

"Well that's what you're leading me to assume," was the more angered answer. "You're spending way too much time around her."

"I just want her to be safe and happy."

"It's not about what you want. It's about what's best for her." Yusei seemed to be growing slightly frustrated, and then he added, "Are you just jealous because I have a girlfriend and you don't? Because I'm willing to help you find one…"

"I'm not that childish," Judai quickly replied. "And I may not have had the best of luck with women lately, but I do just fine."

"And so what?" Yusei asked, finally shouting. "The rich Neo Domino celebrity is entitled to whatever the Satellite rat has?"

"So you're making it about elitism now, are you?" Judai yelled back. "It's not all about money and status to me, you know."

"No, but you make everything about you! Especially with your insane obsession with trying to fix everything!"

"I'm just trying to help you two, Yusei!"

"Just because you've screwed up every relationship you've had doesn't entitle you to infringe on mine!" As soon as Yusei said this, Judai just turned from angry to depressed-looking, lowering his gaze to the floor and turning around to walk away.

"Judai… I'm sorry…" Yusei said, coming up to him and placing his hand on the shoulder of the other man. "That was uncalled for. I had no right to say that." The though was cut off when Judai quickly spun around and struck Yusei in the face, making Aki gasp as her boyfriend fell to the floor.

"You're damn right you didn't," was Judai's callous comment, before he turned around and walked down the stairs. As he left Aki got out of bed and ran to her boyfriend, helping him to his feet and seeing the bruise starting to form on Yusei's cheek.

"He had no right to do that," she said strongly.

"No," Yusei denied, shaking his head. "I took it too far."

"You know I'd never leave you, right?" Aki asked, stroking his chin.

"I know…" he said, starting to realize how stupid he'd sounded. "It's just… living in Satellite we never had much. We hold onto whatever we can find, and we protect it fiercely. And if we think it's threatened, we'll do or say anything."

"I understand…" Aki's soft voice said, and then the two of them closed their eyes and locked lips.

* * *

Judai sat on the couch in his living room, staring at the deck of cards he used for dueling which he had spread out on the table. Taking a sip of a cup of coffee lying on his table, he went back to staring at a specific card. As such, he didn't notice as Johan stepped into the room.

"Oi, Judai," Johan greeted, smiling as he sat down on the couch next to his friend. When he got no response from his friend, he asked, "You want to duel?"

"Not right now," Judai said in a monotone, picking up Yubel's card. Behind him, the spirit then appeared with her arms crossed.

"It's rude to ignore your friends," Yubel pointed out, once again getting no response from Judai. However, Johan turned around and asked,

"What's with him?"

"He got into a little fight with Yusei…" the spirit answered. "…Over Aki."

"What?" Johan asked, turning back to the other man in the room. "What did you do?"

"Why do you assume I'm at fault?" Judai asked, trying not to sound angry. "Yusei misinterpreted the situation and overreacted."

"You watched over Aki all night," Johan pointed out. "I can see how that would be misinterpreted."

"I'd rather not talk about this," Judai quickly responded.

"Judai, I'm just trying to help," Johan affirmed, in case there was any doubt.

"I don't want your help." Johan was slightly offended by this, so he stood up and took a step back.

"I understand you're upset that Asuka chose Kaiser over you," Johan calmly stated, getting another frustrated sigh out of Judai. "But there's no need to be so jaded towards your friends."

"Some friends," Judai answered. "They accuse me of trying to steal their girlfriends, cheating at card games… What's the damn point?"

"I can't believe you just said that," Johan bitterly responded. "Let me know when you're ready to act like a human being." And with that Johan walked out of the room.

Staring over at Yubel, Judai said, "What are you looking at?"

***

Later that night, Yusei sat by Aki's side as she got ready to go to sleep for the night. He seemed rather worried about what would happen, but Aki was more secure. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. It's just a dream, after all."

"Just in case," Yusei said, opening up the dresser drawer and taking out the Deck that had acted up the night before. "I'm taking this away so it can't get at you again."

"You're being overprotective again," she playfully responded.

"Maybe, but I don't feel like taking chances." Flipping out the light, Yusei walked out the door where he closed it behind him.

Aki merely lay there, closing her eyes to embrace the peaceful sleep she hoped for. But what came instead was yet another nightmare – another ghost from her past.

***

"I direct attack you Aki!" Rudger yelled out, pointing up to his Earthbound God Uru. "Hell Thread!" The gigantic spider launched a string of rock-hard thread at Aki, striking her and knocking her back against the edge of the Orichalcos Barrier's dome.

"Aki!" Manjyoume yelled out.

Aki: LP 500

Rudger: LP 4000

"Soon," Rudger declared darkly, "Aki, you will be gone, and you will serve the Earthbound Gods as a Dark Signer!"

"That… won't… happen…" Aki said as she stood up, her breath raspy from the impact.

"Then defeat me and escape with you soul. I end my turn."

"Draw!" Aki declared, pulling another card. _"Because of Discord Counter, I can't Summon this turn. All I can do is hold him off until I can find summon out Black Rose Dragon."_ "I set this card and end my turn."

Chuckling, the Dark Signer said strongly, "That's all you can do? Then you perish now Draw! Earthbound God Uru (ATK: 3500), Direct Attack!"

"Trap Card Open: Guard Block!" Aki declared. "I take do damage from this attack and I draw 1 card!" A barrier formed around Aki before the spider fired its web at her, and as such it simply bounced off. Then, she drew.

Annoyed, Rudger took the card he had drawn and placed it in the tray. "I set 1 card and end my turn."

"Draw!" Aki declared. "And since Discord Counter wore off 2 turns ago, I can Synchro Summon again! I Tune my Level 3 Night-Rose Knight to my Level 4 Dark Bell Blossom!" Rising up into the air, the purple knight changed into 3 green rings that formed around the plant, turning it into 4 white orbs that formed a vertical column of light.

"The world shall be engulfed by a cold-burning flame. Pitch-Dark Flower set into bloom. Synchro Summon! Come forth, Black Rose Dragon (ATK: 2400)!" Out of the light once again shone her red and black flower-like dragon, a gale of rose petals flying around wildly. "And I activate Black Rose Dragon's effect to destroy all cards on the field!"

With a mighty roar, the dragon then intensified its storm and sent rose petals flying into everything in play, shattering them instantly, before the dragon itself exploded. However, the seal around the field remained intact, as Aki had expected. "By the effect of the Dummy Marker I just destroyed," Aki declared, "I draw one card!"

"What a coincidence," Rudger smiled, holding up the set card he had lost. "Mine was Dummy Marker as well!" As Aki looked on in shock the man further explained, "I knew you would use your Dragon to clear the field. Because your effect destroyed it, I draw 2 cards."

As Rudger pulled his cards Aki said, reaching for her deck, "True, but keep in mind that it's my turn. This draw… will change the face of the game!" Manjyoume merely looked on in awe at her declaration, while Rudger maintained his usual arrogance.

"Go ahead and draw," Rudger taunted. "It still won't help you!" Laughing as Aki pulled her card, he stopped when she looked on at him smugly, as though she's played into his hands.

"My turn's not over yet," Aki declared. "I summon Dandelion (ATK: 300)." Aki was then joined by a small cat-like plant creature with leaves for limbs, a yellow flower-petal mane, and small beady eyes.

Rudger stared at the monster for a second before bursting out into laughter and saying, "Do you honestly believe I'm threatened by such a monster?"

"Maybe not now," Aki spoke out confidently as she glared and help up another card, "But this might. Magic Card: Monster Gate! By releasing Dandelion…" with that the small plant-like creature disappeared as Aki reached for her Deck, "I pick up cards from my Deck until I get a monster, and I Special Summon it!"

Pulling the first card from the top of her Deck, Aki saw that it was Wicked Reborn, and so she merely placed it into the Cemetery before reaching for her next card. And it, on the other hand, was a much better pull. "I Special Summon Camellia Princess Tytannial (ATK: 2800)!" And up behind Aki rose a female figure whose lower body was encased in large red flowers.

"What?" Rudger spat, upon seeing the powerful creature before him.

"And next," Aki added, "because I released Dandelion, I get 2 Fluff Tokens (DEF: 0) (DEF: 0)." On either side of Aki formed a small white creature that very much resembled a dandelion seed. "Tytannial, Direct Attack the player!" Without warning the female figure launched a barrage of red petals at Rudger, slicing through his necrotic flesh to make black sludge pour from his wounds.

"That's a pretty critical move right there," Manjyoume noted to himself. "She's really turning this around."

"Instant Magic: Sobek's Blessing!" Aki declared, her body forming a blue field around itself. "Because I dealt you direct battle damage, I recover that amount of power."

Aki: LP 3300

Rudger: LP 1200

"I set 2 cards," Aki declared, placing the cards in the slots directly behind each of the Fluff Tokens. "I end my turn."

"Draw!" Rudger declared, less that happy about the way the situation was going for him. However, when he looked at his card, he seemed far more certain. "I set 2 cards. I end my turn."

"Draw!" Aki declared confidently. "Tytannial, Direct Attack the player!"

"Not so fast!" Rudger declared. "Trap Card Open: Revival of the Bound Gods*!" Behind Rudger burst up a huge column of sludge-like liquid, and from that the gigantic spider deity rose up to join him. "This Trap allows me to Special Summon 1 Earthbound God from my Cemetery. Re revived, Uru (ATK: 3500)!"

*AUTHOR'S NOTE: Speculation on Revival of the Immortal's Japanese Name when it arrives there.*

"Even so," Aki declared, "I'll destroy your Life Points by attacking right through your monster!"

"Don't be so sure," Rudger declared. "Permanent Trap: Call of the Living Dead! I Special Summon Poison Shot Spider from my Cemetery into my Magic & Trap Card Zones!" Directly beside its card re-emerged the red and purple spider from earlier, clicking its mandibles hungrily at Aki.

"What good does that do?" Aki asked.

"It's simple, my dear," Rudger told. "When a monster resides in my Magic & Trap Card Zones, it cannot be attacked until there are no monsters in my Monster Card Zones. And right now, you cannot attack the monster in my Monster Card Zones." A total wave of shock and fear swept over Aki's face upon hearing this news.

"She's stuck," Manjyoume realized. "She can't attack."

"I set this card," Aki said simply. "I end my turn."

"Draw!" Rudger declared. "And by the effect of my Trap Card, Uru cannot inflict Battle Damage. But, he can still use his effect. By releasing a monster I control, I take control of an opponent's monster once in one turn. I release Poison Shot to take control of Tytannial."

"No you don't!" Aki declared. "I activate Tytannial's effect. When an effect targets a Plant-type monster, I release 1 Plant-type monster to negate that effect and destroy the card responsible." One of the Fluff Tokens dissolved, and then the female flower figure fired many red petals at the spider Deity, destroying it.

"No!" Rudger snapped. "This can't be!"

"I'm afraid it is!" Aki yelled.

"You'll pay for this, child," Rudger informed. "Magic Activate: Angel's Gift!" Pulling 3 cards, he took one of them and the Spider Web in his hand and placed them in the Cemetery Slot. "Magic Activate: Earthbound Revival! By discarding 1 card, I add Uru and Spider Web back to my hand." Pulling a monster from his hand and placing it into the Cemetery, and the two cards returned to his grasp.

"That doesn't make a difference," Aki pointed out. "Magic Activate: Revealing Swords of Light!" From the sky three large swords made of light rained down on Aki's monsters, trapping them in place.

"I set 2 cards. I end my turn."

"Draw! I summon Botanical Leo (ATK: 1600)." Up beside Aki arose a large lion-like monster with a red flower for a mane and root-like paws. "Botanical Leo gains 300 ATK for every Plant-type monster I control (ATK: 2500)! I set 1 card, and I end my turn."

"Draw!" Rudger declared. "Magic Activate: Reincarnation of the Dead! I discard Uru and add Ground Spider to my hand. Then I summon it (ATK: 0)." From the ground once again remerged the brown, one-eyed spider as it clicked its feelers.

"What?" Aki asked. "You discarded Uru."

"Trap Card Open: Undying Class! I release my two Spiders and revive Uru!" The two spiders in front of Rudger both dissolves into pixels as yet another vertical column of blackness burst forth, once again revealing the red-lined spider god (ATK: 3500). "Go, Uru! Direct Attack! Hell Thread!"

Hissing, the gigantic monster spat a massive piece of spider web at Aki, who braced herself for the impact. Soon the web came crashing down upon her, creating a blast that threw smoke up into the air. "Aki!" Manjyoume yelled.

"I'm afraid the girl is no more," Rudger sneered, only to gasp when he saw that Aki still stood opposite him, fire in her eyes as a set card was revealed.

"Trap Card: Life Energy Barrier," Aki declared, her entire body glowing blue. "With this card, I reduce my Life Points to 100, and in return my Life Points and monsters become immune to Battle Damage for 3 turns."

"You're taking a huge gamble," Rudger observed. "You must be desperate. I set 1 card and end my turn."

"Draw!" Aki issued. "And now Rudger, your fate becomes nil!"

"I'm sorry, my dear," Rudger issued, "but there is nothing more to fight about. Trap Card Open: Earthbound Release! By releasing my Earthbound God, I destroy all face-up monsters on the field, and inflict their ATK as damage to their controller. Say farewell!" The body of the spider god instantly began to glow a powerful bright red before it exploded in a fierce wave, striking all of Aki's monsters and kicking up smoke.

"Game, set, match," Rudger sneered as Aki's side of play was completely covered by smoke. However, Rudger was surprised when a card appeared on Aki's side of the field that changed everything.

"Trap Card: Emergency Evasion," Aki said simply. "When cards on my field would be destroyed, I get to remove all those cards from play. Then, I draw 1 card. If it is the type of card I removed, I get to return all those cards to the field."

"Gambling will not save you from defeat, child," Rudger issued as Aki reached for her Deck. She then slowly pulled a card, and then spun it around to reveal Riglas Reever.

"It's a monster card," Aki said triumphantly, Rudger gaining a look of defeated terror. "Return, Camellia Princess Tytannial (ATK: 2800)!" Out of a flurry of red flower petals emerged Aki's plant lady, and with that Rudger gained a look of total shock.

"This… can't be!" Rudger bellowed.

"Next I summon Riglas Reever (ATK: 1600)." As Aki spoke, a wooden-looking creature with a face like a leech's and a reaper scythe rose up beside Aki, ready to fight. "Attack Poison Shot Spider!" Rushing forward, the wooden monster cleaved through the small spider with relative ease, leaving nothing after its strike to protect Rudger.

"No… this is impossible," Rudger yelled. "The Dark Signers will not be defeated so."

"Tytannial, direct attack!" Once again, the plant lady fired a stream of red petals at Rudger, this time slashing through him and making him fall on his knees. His incessant cackling died down as the monsters all began to fade out, but for reasons unknown the seal itself did not fade away.

Aki: LP 100

Rudger: LP 0

"Very good my child," Rudger said, his body beginning to turn to dark grey ash, "but I'm afraid your battle is far from over."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You may have won this duel, but now you must win your freedom." With that the seal began to shine brightly, and then a vertical column of green light shone up into the sky. When it stopped, both players had vanished, and then the seal began to fade away.

* * *

"I watched you die," Aki spoke out in a quiet, almost weak tone. "I watched you turn to dust."

Pulling out a knife from his pocket, Rudger figure sliced through the binds holding her limbs in place, making her fall to the floor. Her head was sore and her legs numb, offering no ability to move.

"Well," the hoarse voice of the Dark Signer rang out, holding up his right arm as a leg that had been missing from his Spider Mark suddenly re-grew. "I've learned the value of a good body double. You destroyed a lost soul from Zero Reverse."

"Then…" Aki moaned, trying not to pass out as Rudger picked her up by the collar, "How did I get here?"

"The Seal took you," the Dark Signer sneered. "After you lost your energy, it brought you to us." Pulling around his knife, the man sank the blade into the soft flesh of the girl's forehead, making her shriek in pain as he drew a satanic pentagram into her forehead. When he finished, Rudger tossed her to the ground and began to walk away. The candles went out, and so did she.

After that she spent several hours hung in this way, blood dripping into her bangs and making them hard and crusted. Eventually she simply blacked out, only to later find herself slung over the back of a D-Wheel. Her legs were tied together, as were her arms, and on the ground she saw the dismembered corpse of a man.

"No… Bommer…" she whispered. Indeed, it was the honorable man who had saved her was lying on the floor – no, the roof, for she found herself to be on top of a building – and from behind herself she began to hear a maniacal laughter. "You…"

Though she could not see her captor, she instinctively recognized as that of the madman that had plagued them for so long. "What, are you not happy to see me, doll?" The voice of the insane individual seemed to be mocking Yusei, and through that showed a true hatred for him. Then, seconds later he said in his own voice, "you're mine now."

Aki felt the man grip her by the shoulder and spin her over to be face-up, thus confirming her suspicions. Kiryu then gripped the girl's neck with his left hand, applying pressure to her throat so she couldn't breathe or fight back. She gasped for air against the psychopath's grip, and could just barely draw enough air to survive. "Signers. Pathetic."

Letting go of her neck, he slapped her across the face with his now free hand, then reached for her jaw to bring her face closer to his own. She stared into the black eyes, cold as ice, and he stared at her as though something he wanted was behind her eyes. Kiryu then threw her back against the seat, hand enough so that she was knocked out yet again.

* * *

Aki's eyes slowly crept open to find her in the room, dark from the night and the closed door. She remained calm at what she had just remembered, unlike the night previous, and yet… something seemed different. Not quite right. As though he vision she had just seen wasn't really what had happened. But Kiryu had done nothing else to her.

Suddenly, Aki heard whispering voices giggling and taking out of focus. Unable to discern what they said, she tried listening intently, but to no avail. The voices were too quiet and too far away to hear clearly. Simply feeling she was still half-asleep, she closed her eyes again and faded back off.

Mere seconds later, however, her eyes bolted back open at the sound of a scream. A female voice, one younger and more frail than her own, has yelled out her name and she didn't know where from or why.

"Yusei…" Aki tried to say but whispered. Lightning flashed outside and the sound of rain against the window came into range for her to hear, and then the voice whispered her name again. Throwing her black linens up and off her, she sat up and then stood up, stepping over to the door. The right straps of her nightgown had begun to fall off her shoulder, and her skin seemed cold despite the heat the house had.

Opening the door, Aki stepped out into the hallway. With the lightning not flashing, the hallway was dark, and so she reached around for the light switch. Flicking it, a light bulb flipped on for a moment before it burnt out with a loud pop, making the girl scream. Now in the dark again, she turned to the staircase she knew was beside her door and began to descend down it.

"Judai… Johan… Yusei…" Aki called out softly, getting no replies. Instead, the voices started up again, this time guiding her towards the toilet down the main level hall of the loft. The girl's voice calling her name also began to call out again, this time also saying 'help me' after her name.

Opening the door of the toilet, the Signer girl saw nothing out of the ordinary – a shower, a sink on a vanity, a medicine cabinet, a toilet… until the lightning flashed again. In the spilt second that the room was lit up for, caked blood appeared flowing out of the medicine cabinet and into the sink. Definitely startled and freaked out, she looked into the mirror to see something horrifying…

The seal that Rudger had played had now carved it itself into her forehead, bloody and ragged. Her eyes had a blood-red glaze over them, making her look demonized and horrid. Confused, she started the faucet on the sink and began to splash water on the wound to clean it up. She then stepped over and sat down on the toilet, burying her face in her left hand, questioning what was going on around her that could explain all of this. The nightmares, which she now believed this to be one of, had started recently and without any cause. But why…?

Then, a thud. The sound of a human being dropping to the floor, followed by a low groan, issued out from the kitchen. Standing back up, Aki shakily made her way out of the room and into the hallway, the voices and the moaning getting louder as she made her way toward the kitchen entrance but dying out when she got to the door. Entering, she saw the back of a figure dressed in a black leather trench coat, long green hair falling over the collar.

"Kaiser?" Aki whispered, prompting the man to turn slowly around stare at her. Indeed, it was the mighty Cyber-Style duelist, but he smirked in a hostile and dark manner unlike her relation with him.

"Are you afraid, Aki?" Hell Kaiser asked, softly but darkly, prompting Aki to take a step back.

"No… not right now…" she answered, somewhat weakly. "Why…?"

"You will be…" Hell Kaiser hissed out disturbingly. In seconds, a dark field of black flames surrounded the man, black veins starting to grow on his neck and extend up onto his face. The eyes of the man changed from white with grey irises gradually to a pair of pitch-black scleras and crimson irises, and then a dragon's face-like mask formed over that. Dark blue lenses barely meant the demonic eyes barely showed through, but Aki could still tell his steely gaze was on her.

"You…" she gasped out before Hell Kaiser raised his right hand, creating a shockwave that thrust Aki out of the room and against the hallway's left wall. He then began to step towards her, lowering his arm to his side as he chuckled darkly, only to bring it back up and grab Aki by the throat. Sliding her up the wall, the flames of blackness along his body began to flow up overtop of Aki as well.

"Defiance of the logic of the world is a large issue with me," Hell Kaiser's voice issued, joined by the low booming voice of Darkness.

"Why… me…?" Aki chocked out between breaths, grabbing hold of Hell Kaiser's arm with both her hands. Black veins then began to extend over his entire body, overtop of his clothes, a though he were a wall covered in black ivy.

"You were the perfect choice to join my efforts…" both voices uttered in a haunted tone. "But you spat in both our faces. Impertinence is not something I take lightly."

With a frustrated grunt, Aki managed to kick Hell Kaiser in the face with her right foot, making him release her and let her fall to the floor as his head snapped to the side. For a second his jaw hung open, looking almost unhinged, as she got back to her feet and got a few feet away from him. Holding her throat in pain as she gasped, her expression turned to pure horror when he looked back her way.

"What's wrong?" the two haunted voices issued while Hell Kaiser's head began to slowly jerk from side to side. "Don't you want to join us?" With a jerking motion, Hell Kaiser's head began to rotate to an upside-down alignment in increments of thirty degrees or so at a time, his mask falling off along the way. The inverted head eyed her angrily, its jaw moving side-to-side and even upwards, as though it was trying to sever it off.

"What the hell are you?" Aki gasped out, stepping back against the door of a closet. Once again the twisted creature gave no reply, but the black vines from its body began to grow and stream across the floor. Before she knew it, they were at her feet and flowing up her body, and in seconds they covered her head-to-toe. She closed her eyes and began screaming in terror, gripping her head and wildly trying to rip the vines off as the monster before her laughed with one voice and growled with the other…

* * *

Judai was woken up by a shrill sound in the background. Bolting up to a sitting position on his bed, he quickly got up and pulled some pants over his shorts and a shirt over his torso, running to the door and opening it before running down the stairs. Behind him he heard Yusei and Jack also getting up, and he noticed that Aki's door was wide open. _"Damn it,"_ the young man thought.

Getting down to the kitchen, he heard that, as he thought, the noise was the sound of Aki screaming, but the direction was vague to him in his semi-conscious state. Within seconds Jack and Yusei were standing behind him, and then Judai figured out where the noise was coming from. Crossing the kitchen to the other entry, they saw what was going on.

Aki stood against the closet door with her eyes closed screaming, her body covered in an aura of blackness and her clawing at her head as though her body were covered in insects. His eyes glossing over with Yubel's irises Judai yelled, "Fuck this shit!" before raising his right hand in defiance. A wave of invisible energy then shot off him and toward the dark aura and casting it off.

A pool of black energy then formed at Aki's feet as she fell onto her knees and stopped scratching. Mere seconds later, the blackness shot at the three men standing in the doorway but Judai was quick to intercept by forming a barrier before them. Bouncing off the force field, the blackness then solidified into the form of a human being. "Go get Aki," Judai instructed before the other two ran off.

The being tried to give chase, but was stopped when Judai jumped it from behind and karate-chopped it from head to toe. As it split in half it fell apart, turning into nothingness as the man stood up and began to walk towards Aki. "Are you alright?" Judai asked her, somehow aggravating Jack enough to punch Judai in the stomach. Aki stopped screaming and instead began to look on in fear at what Jack had done as Judai collapsed on his knees and forearms, his head sinking between his arms.

"Don't try that again," the blond-haired man warned. "I won't let you mess up their relationship, like everything else you've ruined in our lives."

"Jack, that's enough," Yusei declared, almost surprising the larger man who turned to him with his mouth opened.

"What? But I…"

"If that's… how you feel…" Judai issued, getting to his feet, "…then I'm done with this. Solve this on your own…" Turning around to leave, the young man walked into the kitchen and continued to the staircase.

"No, Judai, don't… I'm sorry…" Aki said quickly, and she heard him stop in his tracks for a second.

"I doubt that…" was the reply from the next room, and with that the sound of Judai climbing the stairs rang out as Aki hung her head in shame.

**Card of the Week – Aki**

**Camellia Princess Tytannial**

**Attribute:** WIND

**Level:** 8

**Type:** [Plant/Effect]

**Effect: **Activate by Releasing 1 Plant sub-type monster you control. Negate the activation and effect of a Magic, Trap of Effect Monster's effect that targets a face-up Plant sub-type monster(s), and destroy that card.

**ATK/** 2800

**DEF/** 2600

* Yes, there was referencing to horror movies in the second-last scene. I do not claim ownership to that, but I hope you liked it. Review if you wish.*


	3. What is Done will Return Again

**Disclaimer**: The following piece is in no way a claim to ownership of the depicted characters. Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh R, Yu-Gi-Oh GX and Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's are owned by TV Tokyo, Konami Corporation and Kazuki Takahashi. The song with which this fanfiction document shares its name is the property of Sarah Brightman. This story as presented is strictly for entertainment purposes, both for its owner and readers.

**Chapter 3 – "What is Done will Return Again," A Duel to Escape the Darkness**

The following morning, Aki was lying awake in Yusei' bed right next to him. Ever since her nightmare, she could neither sleep nor bear to be alone, and because it was too far to take her home Yusei had taken another of Judai's guest rooms. Yusei hated to take up two of Judai's extra rooms, but Aki couldn't bear to go back to her old room, and Judai said he didn't mind. However, he still seemed bitter about last night.

Coming out of her own head, Aki turned slightly as Yusei began to stir. He had barely been able to sleep out of worry for Aki, but he was still in far better condition than her. "You okay?" he asked softly.

"I… I think so," she whispered back, her voice raspy from her crying the night before.

"You sure? I just…" with a sigh Yusei added, "I'm so sorry for what happened to you…"

"It's not your fault," Aki replied, trying to reassure him.

"No, but I feel terrible. Everyone does. If we'd been a bit faster in tracking you down, you'd be fine now."

"Calm down Yusei," Aki said groggily. "I'm… fine…" With that the girl passed out, tired and drained of energy, in her boyfriend's arms, causing Yusei to relax a little but not enough for him to smile at her answer.

* * *

"Are you sure it's not too much trouble?" Judai said to somebody on the other end of his cellphone. He had been up all night with a bottle of Jack Daniel's trying to figure out what to do about their situation, drinking it slowly to avoid becoming fully intoxicated. "Well, if you are alright with it, when can you be here? Tomorrow morning? I don't know if that's soon enough… No, no, I'm not rushing you, but Aki's a real mess… Tomorrow morning is the soonest?" Sighing, he added, "Very well then."

Hanging up the phone, Yubel's spirit materialized and leaned up against the kitchen doorway, saying, "That was a close call last night. You acted quickly and clearly. Good job."

"It's not about me," Judai replied solemnly. "She was hysterical, and I bet she kept Yusei up all night worrying."

"How's that any different than what you did, besides the alcohol?" the spirit scorned.

"Now's really not the time." Growing frustrated, Judai slapped the empty glass bottle onto the floor and yelled, "Damn it! Why the hell is this happening to my friends?"

"You can't keep blaming yourself like this-nya," the voice of Professor Daitokuji issued. From the corner of the room, the glowing yellow orb containing his spirit floated up to eye-level as his ghostly form became visible. At his feet, the chubby cat Pharaoh lay sleeping curled up in a ball. "None of this is your fault, Judai."

"I know, I know," Judai issued in frustration. "But, I… I just don't understand why this keeps happening."

"If we knew the answer to that, life would be much simpler," Yubel commented. "Until then, all we can do is figure out how to solve life's problems, one issue at a time."

"She's right-nya."

Taking a deep breath, Judai reached down and picked up the empty bottle, putting it over on the counter as a knock sounded at the door. "This place is becoming more crowded than my college dorm room," Judai commented to himself as he went to the front door and opened it.

"You're a mess," Ryo said, stepping in the door. 'Hell Kaiser' was no longer the title he went by, now that he was on temporary hiatus from the pro dueling circuit.

"I'm aware," Judai answered as he closed the door and turned. "Aki's in bad shape."

"So Johan tells me," he answered. "But you're in worse shape, seeing as she's not drunk." Referring to the alcohol on Judai's breath, Ryo looked sternly at Judai as Judai himself sighed and breathed deeply.

"I got pretty stressed over the issue," Judai informed. "I…" he swallowed, "…guess I overcompensated."

"You're a good man Judai." With that Ryo headed into the living area, and Judai decided to go upstairs to check on Aki. Stepping softly on the hardwood, he managed to get to the top floor rather quickly, and then walked down the hell to where Aki and Yusei were staying.

Stepping up to the door, Judai rapped on the door, only to discover that it was not closed tightly and thus swung inwards slightly. Inside the room Judai could hear a low hissing sound, and he couldn't hear the sound of breathing over it. Getting angered slightly, he swung the door open to discover Aki and Yusei lying side-by-side on the bed, covered in an aura of darkness. "Ryo!" Judai yelled downstairs before entering into the room.

At that point the aura decided Judai was a threat, so tendrils of it shot off the two unconscious teens and wrapped around Judai like an enormous fist. Struggling against it, he groaned out in pain as he conjured up Yubel's strength to break them apart from him.

"What's going on?" Ryo yelled as he came upstairs, gaining an expression of total surprise as he saw the black aura before them. "What the hell…"

"This is exactly the problem," Judai commented as he gained Yubel's eyes. "Hey!" He yelled at the dark aura as he pulled out his Duel Disc and activated it. "Get away from them!" Pulling a card, he put his E-HERO Neos down on the tray to call it forth. Almost instantly it jumped at the dark aura, slicing it vertically and causing it to leap off of them and out into the hall.

As the creature started to move away and towards the window, Judai yelled, "After it!" With that, the white warrior disappeared as he and Ryo ran towards the fire escape window at the end of the hall, arriving to open it mere moments after the aura slipped through it. Judai was the first out onto it, running up the metal staircase to catch up with the malicious spirit, with Ryo not far behind.

At the top of the staircase, Judai saw that the aura had taken on a human shape, but that it had no defining features – it was almost like a silhouette was standing before him. "Who are you and what do you want?!"

Not responding with words, the creature held up its arm to form a Duel Disc, which quickly activated. "I see," Judai said. "Then a Duel it is." With that both players drew 5 cards. "Ryo," Judai turned back. "I'll be fine here. Go help Aki and Yusei."

"You sure?" the taller man asked.

"Yes. Now go!" Responding, Ryo got back down onto the fire escape as the silhouette drew a sixth card. It immediately set it, along with another 3 cards, and then it set a monster and activated Mirage of Nightmares.

"That's all?" Judai asked, receiving a nod. "Alright, my turn. I draw!" AS Judai drew, the face-up card glowed as the spirit drew 4 new cards.

Judai: LP 4000

Spirit: LP 4000

"Magic activate: Fake Hero! I Special Summon E-HERO Neos from my hand (ATK: 2500)!" With that, the white warrior from inside appeared before Judai in a battle-ready stance. "Next I summon Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab (ATK: 500)." On Judai's field also appeared a human-like insectoid creature with black, beige and purple armour.

"Contact Fusion!" Both figures before Judai jumped up into the air into space, colliding and forming a flare of blue energy which spawned a warrior similar to the white one, but with red, orange and black armour, a pair of wing-like pieces on its back and two horns. "Come: Elemental Hero Flare Neos (ATK: 2500), and with that its effect gives it 400 extra ATK for every Magic & Trap Card on the field (ATK: 4500)."

"Interesting strategy," a voice echoed out from the silhouette – the voice of Aki, but distorted like she had become demonized. All of a sudden the aura exploded out into the form of Aki, but still made of shadows. The shock on Judai's face was eclipsed as it added, "But you've fallen into my trap. Trap Card Open: Curse of Rose! When the opponent changes the ATK of a monster, they take damage equal the Original ATK of their monster."

"What?" Judai asked before he burst out into flames of red energy. He screamed out in pain as his power dropped.

Judai: LP 1500

Spirit: LP 4000

"And now," the spirit pointed out, "Flare Neos loses 400 ATK (ATK: 4100)."

"That may be," Judai cringed as he said, "But I'm not backing down. Magic Activate: Heat Heart! During this turn, Flare Neos gains 500 ATK (ATK: 4600) and inflicts Penetration Damage. Go, Flare Neos, attack the set monster! Burns Rush!" Jumping up into the air, the armoured warrior launched a stream of flames at the set monster, but unfortunately the spirit responded.

"Instant Magic: Emergency Rations! I send Mirage of Nightmare to the Cemetery to recover 1000 Life Points!" Gritting his teeth at the sight of his own old combo, Judai watched as the face-up card disappeared along with the newly activated one, resulting in a drop in power for his creature (ATK: 3800). Then, the spirit chained again.

"Trap Card Open: Rose Flame! When a Plant monster is Summoned to the opponent's field, they receive 500 damage. And that's not all; your attack target, Ivy Wall, now flips (DEF: 1200)!" The set monster's card disappeared, to be replaced by a large tombstone-like structure covered in thorny vines. "With that, an Ivy Token is Special Summoned to the opponent's field, so Rose Flame gives you 500 damage."

A chute consisting of 3 leaves and a stem appeared in front of Judai as he again burst into energy flames. At the same time, the flames of the warrior's attack burnt through the opponent's monster and struck the spirit, causing the spirit her own damage.

Judai: LP 1000

Spirit: LP 2400

"Instant Magic: Contact Out!" Judai declared, holding up the card. "I return Flare Neos to the Extra Deck and Special Summon Neos (ATK: 2500) and Flare Scarab (ATK: 500, 1300) from my Deck." The armoured warrior split apart as it was covered in a wave of light, forming the white humanoid warrior and the insectoid creature. "Now, Neos, Direct Attack!"

"Permanent Trap Open: Cursed Ivy!" the spirit responded. "I Special Summon Ivy Wall from my Cemetery in face-down Defence Position, and so it is flipped by your attack!" A set monster card appeared in the path of the attacking warrior, flipping over to reveal the hedge-like figure from before. It instantly shattered as another root-like growth appeared before Judai, making him burst into flames again.

Judai: LP 500

Spirit: LP 2400

"Flare Scarab (ATK: 900)," Judai instructed hoarsely, "Direct Attack!" The insectoid nodded before launching a fireball at the spirit, making it screech out like a rabid animal.

Judai: LP 500

Spirit: LP 1500

"I set 1 card," Judai declared, setting his last card. "I end my turn."

"Draw!" The spirit declared. "I Summon Phoenixician Seed (ATK: 800)." The spirit called forth a red seed-like creature with an eyeball in the centre of its form. "And next, I send this creature to the Cemetery to Special Summon Phoenixician Cluster Amaryllis (ATK: 2200)!" The Seed changed into energy that spawned a tall grove of red plants with a pair of wing-like leaves and a single flower-shaped, bird-like head.

"This is bad," Judai realized. "If I receive this attack, I lose!"

"Phoenixician Amaryllis, attack Flare Scarab (ATK: 1300)!" The red flowers released a bunch of tentacle-like length of red leaf that shot at the insectoid, but fortunately for Judai he had a ready-made counter.

"Trap Card Open: Neo-Spacia Barrier! When the opponent attacks a Neo-Spacian Monster, I negate that attack by Releasing all the none Neo-Spacian Monsters I control, other than Neos!" The two root-like growths instantly disappeared, and then the leaves were stopped and retreated into the plant.

"And next, for every Monster Released, I Special Summon a Neo-Spacian Monster from my Deck. Come: Black Panther (ATK: 1000)! Glow Moss (ATK: 300)!" The spots of the fallen roots were then taken by a black panther-like creature in a cape and a human-shaped glowing fungus with no face but 2 holes for eyes.

"Main Phase 2," the spirit declared, "I release my Amaryllis to activate Super-Nourishing Sun." The red creature disappeared from the spirit's field as it fanned through its cards. "Now, from my Deck, I Special Summon 1 Plant whose Level is equal to or less than that of the Released Plant +3. Come, Camellia-Princess Tytannial (ATK: 2800)." In place of the lost plant appeared a mostly green and pink female figure whose lower body was encased by a grove of large red flowers. "I set 2 cards. I end my turn."

"_This is probably my last chance to fight back."_ Judai realized. "Draw!" Inspecting his draw quickly, he flipped it around and said, "Magic Activate, Spacia Gift! I control 3 types of Neo-Spacians, so I draw 3 cards." Pulling 3 new cards, Judi saw that what he had drawn gave him a chance to attack.

"Trap Card Open: Flowers of Chaos!" the spirit declared. "I Special Summon 2 Chaos Flower Tokens (DEF: 0) (DEF: 0)." On either side of the female plant figure two blood-red flowers with thorny stems appeared.

"What good does that do?"

"Yuki Judai, your plan is to Contact Fuse with either of the two monsters you picked. But it will not work." Sneering, the spirit added. "If a Plant-type monster I control is targeted, I can Release 1 Plant to negate that effect and destroy the cards responsible."

"And yet, you have no idea what I've planned," Judai countered, surprising the spirit slightly. "Triple Contact Fusion!" Nodding, the two new alien creatures and the white warrior shot up into the space above, and in a flash of light they melded together and formed a black figure with glowing white armour, purple hair and a right hand that was a gigantic claw. "Come: Elemental Hero Chaos Neos (ATK: 3000). Effect, activate!"

"You're wasting your time, Judai!" the spirit declared. "Tytannial's effect activates!"

"The effect of Chaos Neos dos not target," Judai informed. "A number between one and three will now be randomly selected." Three glowing orbs appeared in between the hands of the new creature, each one with a different Kanji on them; Ichi (One), Ni (Two) and San (Three). The three orbs began to light up and dull in a clockwise pattern until the San orb stayed lit up. "When three is selected, all monsters my opponent controls are destroyed."

"Trap Card Open: Flower Burst! I negate the effect of an opponent's card to destroy a Plant-type monster I control, and destroy it." Before the black and white warrior could react, a series of black flower petals shot out from the newly-opened Trap Card, striking the warrior in the chest and causing it to explode.

"Impressive," Judai declared as his eyes flashed over into those of Yubel, "but I knew you would attempt to negate that effect."

"You what?" the spirit said, stunned.

"Instant Magic: Rebirth of Neos! In the turn a Neos Fusion Monster is destroyed, I return E-HERO Neos to the field with 1000 more ATK (ATK: 3500)!" A burst of light was seen before the aforementioned warrior returned to the field, crying out to show it was ready for battle.

"Now it has more ATK than Tytannial," the spirit said worriedly, "but even so, you cannot defeat me this turn."

"Are you sure?" Judai asked, getting a startled response. "Magic Card: Arms Hole! By sending the top card of me Deck to the Cemetery, I add 1 Equip Magic from my Deck to my hand!" Flipping his top card, revealed as Fusion, Judai fanned through his cards until he picked one and shuffled the rest.

"This turn, I cannot Normal Summon. But, I can activate this card. Equip Magic: Neos Force! The equipped Neos gains 800 ATK (ATK: 4300)!"

"What?" the spirit realized as the warrior began to glow orange. "No, this can't be!"

"Neos, attack Tytannial!" The glowing warrior jumped up into the air, diving down on the plant lady with a closed fist to destroy it. Upon impact, the shockwave caused the spirit to break apart into idle darkness and be blown away by the wind.

Judai: LP 500

Spirit: LP 0

"That was a close call," Judai said to himself as the Solid Vision powered down and his Duel Disc retracted.

"_Indeed,"_ Yubel declared, Judai's eyes turning normal again as her spirit materialized beside him, _"but we have no time to lament."_

"Right, we need to get back to the others." Turning, Judai ran back to the edge and jumped back down onto the fire escape and ran down it until he reached his window. When he jumped it, he saw Ryo standing outside the room with Yusei and Aki propped up against the wall on his left.

"They had a close call," Ryo explained. "But I think they'll be alright."

"I'll never be alright…" Aki murmured. "Not until I can overcome this darkness."

"And if it continues to put us at risk," Judai pointed out, "then it puts this city at risk." Aki was clearly hurt by this news, as she sighed and leaned in closer to the wall.

"Then we'll deal with it," Yusei said. "What exactly are our options for doing that?" Judai did not reply verbally; instead, he raised his left forearm to activate his Duel Disc. "That's it?"

"I'm afraid so. Nothing else seems to work. Only dueling with true passion and energy can get someone to conquer the darkness in their heart."

"She can't do that now!" Yusei said, somewhat outraged and getting to his feet as swiftly as he could manage. "She can barely stand because she's so tired."

"Then she can duel tonight at midnight," Judai said callously as he deactivated his Duel Disc again. "One way or another, I will see her inner darkness cast out." With that Judai walked past the other three and down the stairs of his loft down to the main level.

When he got to the living room, he lay down on the couch and began to think to himself. _"You're too emotionally invested in this,"_ Yubel told him.

"I'm not investigating a homicide," Judai retorted. "I'm helping out a friend."

"_A friend who chose Yusei over you."_ Slightly angry by Yubel's comment he glared at her, getting only a serious look in reply. _"I know you loved her as well. Both of the women you've loved have ended up with some of your best friends. You handled it last time..."_

"I never had any feeling for Asuka."

"_Whether you did or not, you're upset that she didn't become your girlfriend. After all, you're every bit the man Yusei is."_

"You're putting words in my mouth," Judai said as he bolted to his feet. "Yes, I felt something for Aki, but I don't think I deserve her any more that Yusei does. That's Aki's choice to make."

"Do you honestly believe that?" Ryo said as he entered the room, getting Judai's attention. "Or are you rationalizing why both she and Johan turned you down."

"I'm not gay, damn it!" Judai snapped. "Why do people always assume that?"

"I'm not talking about romance," Ryo replied calmly. "You're a good man Judai, but you always take it upon yourself to be responsible for, and fix, everything. It's that quality which makes it easy for you to own up to your mistakes and take on challenges, but on the same token… it makes you appear selfish."

"What?"

"You heard me. People like your friends don't feel so shallow as to want somebody to shoulder their blame for them. It's somewhat insulting to assume they would, and it sometimes makes them feel like you don't care what they think."

"_He has a point Judai,"_ Yubel said simply.

Grunting and lowering his head, Judai left the room and went out the front door, walking out to the public balcony of his apartment building. It was never busy because most people in this area worked more than Judai did, given that Professional Dueling only required matches every few days or so.

"_You need to lean to take things better,"_ Yubel informed.

"You're not changing my mind," Judai said stubbornly. "I'm dueling Aki, I'm helping Aki. End of story."

Sighing, the Duel Spirit simply said, _"If there's nothing left to say, then it's settled."_ Mere seconds later, Judai felt a total numbness in his body before he passed out on the floor of the balcony…

* * *

At about 11:30 p.m., Yusei received a Text Message from Judai's number telling him and Aki to meet him in the Chapel across the street from the apartment complex. Judai had not come home all day, and so Aki and Yusei had been monitored by Ryo. When he saw the text message, Ryo simply said, "A church, eh? That figures."

"Can you manage that, Aki?" Yusei asked his girlfriend as she emerged from her room dressed in her usual outfit.

"I'm tired, Yusei, not crippled," she replied casually, giving Yusei a kiss on the check before she picked up her Duel Disc and Deck.

"You'd better be sure you're ready," Yusei responded, receiving a nod in agreement fro, Ryo.

"Even in a casual game, people like Judai and I always play for keeps."

"Don't worry about me," Aki answered confidently. "I'll do just fine."

With that settled, the three of them stepped out the door and locked it, then got into the elevator a few feet down the hall and quickly went from the tenth floor down to the first. When the doors opened they got out and walked out into the night streets.

"I still don't understand why Judai would choose to have us meet him there instead of just take us there." Aki pondered.

"A good question indeed," Ryo responded. "In my experience, it's best not to try and solve Judai's logic, if he has one."

As they got to the steps of the church, Ryo stepped ahead and opened to the huge doors. Aki and Yusei then stepped in the doors and Ryo followed them, closing the door behind. There was no light on inside, but enough light shone in through the windows that they could see each other and some of the objects inside (the pipe organ, pews, etc.). Seeing that Judai was not here yet Aki proposed, "Why don't I get in a bit of practice?"

Before anyone could reply Aki put on her pink and red Duel Disc, then slid her Deck into the slot. Instantly an aura of dark energy shot off the deck and consumed Aki, making her scream as Ryo and Yusei cringed. And then, a woman's voice began to chuckle in the background, one the group recognized well.

"Yubel!" Ryo yelled. "Show yourself!" With that all the candles in the church lit up, illuminating the room. The entire dark aura around Aki jumped off in tendrils and shot up to the reverend's altar, taking on Yubel's shape and eventually morphing into the demoness. Stepping out from behind it, she walked to the centre of the stage and smiled at them.

"Where's Judai?" Yusei said.

"I knew he would never back down and let somebody else take on this task," she answered coyly. "So I forced his hand."

"What did you do to him?"

"He's fine, Yusei. After all, I swore an oath to protect him, and thus can never harm him. I just prevented him from stepping in." Raising her scaly left arm, her wing-like Duel Disc grew out from it and a Deck materialized into the slot.

"So I'm dueling you," Aki realized. "Very well then." Stepping forward to halfway up the massive hall of pews, she activated her Duel Disc and both of them drew 5 cards.

"Come now, my dear," Yubel said in an almost maternal manner, "and behold the power of darkness."

"If that is what I must do to move on," Aki replied, "Then so be it."

"DUEL!"

Aki: LP 4000

Yubel: LP 4000

"I will take the first turn," Yubel asserted calmly, drawing a sixth card from her deck. "Permanent Magic: Seed Cannon. This card gains 1 Seed Counter for every Plant-type monster summoned." The card appeared beside Yubel for a second, only to explode as a large rigid orange blossom, covered in thorns and attached to equally thorny vines, rose up from the ground.

"An attempt to counter Aki's Deck?" Yusei questioned.

"If I recall correctly," Ryo corrected, "Yubel's deck is also Plant-based, meaning that card will get Counters quickly.

"I set 3 cards." Yubel added as the said cards appeared face-down before her. "Continuous Magic: Guardian Treasure. When I activate this card, I send my entire hand to the Cemetery." Placing the last card in her hand into the mouth-like Cemetery slot, the card (briefly revealed as a Monster Card) slid into the Duel Disc quickly. "Next, I draw 2 cards, and during each Draw Phase I draw 2 cards instead of one."

"_I see," Aki realized. "She's trying to maintain Card Advantage."_

Yubel quickly pulled her 2 cards, then held up 1 card and put it down. "I summon Dark-Bell Blossom (ATK: 1400)." Up from the ground shot a thorny stem which sprouted a crown of serrated leaves and 5 blood-red bell flowers. At the same time, a glowing white seed-like structure formed within the orange bloom. "I end my turn."

"Draw!" Aki declared, instantly bringing a card from her hand down onto the tray. "I summon Night-Rose Knight (ATK: 1000)." Aki's purple-armoured warrior with white hair and a long sword appeared in front of her as she slapped a second card into the tray. "And with its effect, I Special Summon Botanical Leo (ATK: 1600)." A blue vortex appeared beside the Knight that released a lion-like creature composed of plant material, including a mane made of a flower.

"Still using the same old combos I see," Yubel interpreted, her orange bloom accumulating another seed inside.

"I tune my Night-Rose Knight to my Botanical Leo!" The warrior changed into 3 green rings that surrounded the lion-plant, changing it into 4 vertical white orbs that formed a pillar of light. "The world shall be engulfed by a cold-burning flame. Pitch-Dark Flower set into bloom. Synchro Summon! Come forth, Black Rose Dragon (ATK: 2400)!"

Out of the beam of light emerged Aki's Signer Dragon, the red-and-black plant-like wyvern, and with it came a tempest of purple flower petals "When Black Rose Dragon is Synchro Summoned," Aki informed, "I can destroy all cards on the field."

"This I will not allow," Yubel said confidently and with a sneer. "Continuous Trap: Dark Bramble Binding!" As Aki watched in surprised awe, four green thorny vines shot up from the ground, wrapping around Aki's monster and stopping the tempest. "This Trap Equips to the opposing monster that uses its effect, and negates the equipped monster's effects. In return, it cannot be destroyed."

"Then there's no reason to fear your Trap Cards," Aki pointed out, pointing at Yubel's monster. "Go, Black Rose Dragon, attack Dark Bell Blossom!" From the mouth of Aki's dragon erupted purple flames with flower petals in them, incinerating the flower and blowing the ash into Yubel's face. The demoness quickly covered herself with her wings, before flipping a Trap Card.

Aki: LP 4000

Yubel: LP 3000

"Trap Card Activate: Demon Balsam Seed. When my monster is destroyed by battle, for every 500 Damage I received, I Special Summon 2 Demon Balsam Tokens (ATK: 100) (ATK: 100)." A red and green flower appeared behind Yubel that shot out 2 seeds, each one growing into a small plant with red flowers.

"Next, I activate Dark Blossom's effect. Because it was destroyed by battle, I Special Summon 1 DARK Plant-type monster with 2000 or less from my Deck. Come: Evil Thorn (ATK: 100)." In between the two red flowers grew a plant with a bulb-like thorny orb and a single pink flower. At that time, 2 more seeds appeared inside the orange bloom.

"I set 2 cards," Aki informed. "I end my turn."

"Everything is set my dear," Yubel informed. "I must thank you for your help. The stage is now set."

"What are you taking about?" Aki asked. "You're bluffing."

"Not likely," Ryo muttered. "Yubel doesn't bluff."

"How did you beat her Ryo?" Yusei asked, intrigued. "You seem to know quite a bit about her game play. How'd you win?"

"I lost," was the taller man's flat reply, getting a shocked look from Yusei.

"It's my turn," Yubel declared, pulling 2 cards as her face-up Spell lit up. "I activate Evil Thorn's effect. By releasing it," she said as the plant exploded, "I Special Summon 2 more Evil Thorns (ATK: 100) (ATK: 100) and deal the opponent 300 damage." Two more of the strange plants sprouted up from the ground, and a small explosion at Aki's feet resulted in her staggering slightly.

"Now, I activate Seed Cannon's effect," Yubel said, pointing at the bloom as its fifth seed appeared. "By sending this card with 5 Seed Counters to the Cemetery, I give the opponent 2500 damage." The orange bloom erupted with a blast of energy, shooting through Aki's abdomen and making her scream out in pain as the plant withered and dissolved.

Aki: LP 1200

Yubel: LP 3000

"Next, I Release my 2 Evil Thorns…" the two plants that had just formed instantly disappeared. "…to Summon Yubel (ATK: 0)." As everyone looked on in shock, Yubel stretched out her arms and look to the sky as a piece of her aura broke off from her, taking on her shape and appearing in front of her as a separate entity. Looking down and assuming a more natural pose, Yubel grinned darkly as Aki looked on in terror.

"She's summoned herself!" Yusei realized. "And based on her effect," he added, remembering his duel with Judai as a Dark Signer, "things look bad for Aki."

"I cannot be destroyed by battle," Yubel informed as her doppelganger chuckled. "And any battle damage I receive is inflicted to the opponent instead. Come, Black Rose Dragon. Attack me." Jumping up into the air and extending its wings, the summoned Yubel lit up its central eye in orange, causing the dragon's own eyes to glow orange.

"No, don't!" Aki yelled at her dragon as it shot flames up at the creature. Those flames were intercepted by a large thorny vine that erupted from the ground, being absorbed and redirected when the vine shot towards Aki. "Trap Card: Guard Block! I take no damage and I draw 1 card!" Pulling another card, the vine struck the Trap Card and bounced off, but Yubel also flipped up a card.

"Continuous Trap: Regenerating Orchid!" Jumping up about 10 feet into the air, a series of vines appeared where she had stood and grew into a blood-red flower that released glowing red pollen into her. "When a 0-ATK monster battles, after Damage Calculation I recover Life Points equal to the opponent's ATK."

Aki: LP 1200

Yubel: LP 5400

"So tell me Aki," Yubel asked as she descended onto the flower and her other returned to her level, "what do you intend to do now?"

"Whatever I need to in order to win," was the girl's sharp reply, receiving a chuckle.

"Such energy and ambition," the demoness said. "You remind me of myself when I was young, and human. Main Phase 2, I set 1 card and change 1 Token to Defence Position (DEF: 100)." One of the flowers thus instantly turned blue. "Now, I release the remaining one to keep Yubel in play." The other flower, still its own colour, turned to red dust and disappeared.

"This strategy," Yusei noted, "Is completely self-perpetuating. Yubel can maintain her monsters with other cards, and at the same time both damage the opponent and recover herself."

"I end my turn."

"Draw!" Aki declared. "I set 1 card. Black Rose Dragon, attack the Demon Balsam Token!" The dragon shot flames from its mouth that incinerated the blue flower. "I end my turn."

"Then I draw," Yubel said, once again pulling 2 cards. "Now, Aki, prepare for your true duel."

"What… what do you mean?" As she began to act doubtful, a bit of dark aura began to form around her and her dragon.

"Time to show you your true calling. Trap Card Activate: Treasure Exchange. I now activate 1 Spell or Trap Card from my own hand on your field, and draw 2 cards." Flipping the card of her choice around, everyone was totally stunned by what Yubel held up.

"No… not that…" Aki gasped out.

"Yubel!" Ryo yelled. "You've taken this too far!"

"As your card," Yubel said as her own card disappeared, "I activate Orichalcos Barrier!" Aki's Field Card slot slid open, and instantly the arcane card appeared there and the tray closed again. A green light erupted from at Aki's feet as she screamed out in agony and terror, the green revealing a unicursal hexagram with runic writing around the edges. The seal then grew out to the full size of the field, making green flames burn around Aki and giving her dragon a dark aura.

"Aki!" Yusei and Ryo yelled out as the girl dropped her face. Her scleras were both now glowing red and the seal's design was on her forehead. As the flames died down, the same symbols appeared on the dragon.

"Welcome, Aki!" Yubel said as she began to laugh. "Welcome to your Darkness of heart!" Cackling darkly, Yubel seemed to be pleased with herself and enjoying the situation, while Aki simply stared on in anger.

**Card of the Week – Yubel**

**Orichalcos Barrier**

**Attribute:** Magic

**Type(s):** Field Magic Card

**Effect:** All monsters you control are treated as DARK and gain 500 ATK. You can treat your Magic & Trap Card Zones as Monster cards Zones (your opponent cannot attack monsters in these Zones unless there are none in your regular Monster Card Zones). This card cannot be destroyed and a new Field Magic cannot be activated. When this card is removed from the field, destroy all cards in your Magic & Trap Card Zones.

*This is the kind of thing I knew I just had to write. Review if you wish.*


	4. The Demons of my Soul

**Disclaimer**: The following piece is in no way a claim to ownership of the depicted characters. Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh R, Yu-Gi-Oh GX and Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's are owned by TV Tokyo, Konami Corporation and Kazuki Takahashi. The song with which this fanfiction document shares its name is the property of Sarah Brightman. This story as presented is strictly for entertainment purposes, both for its owner and readers.

**Chapter 4 – "The Demons of my Soul," Orichalcos Barrier**

As Yubel laughed on insanely, Aki simply growled in anger and her two friends looked on in worry and panic, not knowing what to do in this situation. After awhile Aki simply snapped as Yubel and hissed out,, "Are you quite done yet?!"

Stopping her laughter, Yubel looked at the girl smugly and said, "I see you're embracing your Darkness quite well. This is who you were meant to be. Enjoy it. Savour the agony, the pain…"

"In your dreams, you psychotic bitch!" Aki yelled, making Yusei clench his fist. He could hardly comprehend, even with his high intelligence, that his once-timid girlfriend was now a callous, yelling fiend.

"It's that Barrier," Ryo informed, sensing Yusei's thought and looking on with crossed arms. "It brings out your inner darkness."

"What was your plan, exactly?" Aki scoffed. "Giving me such a useful card does nothing for you."

"That's not the point," Yubel replied smoothly, pointing at the Trap Card still face-up before her. "By the effect of Treasure Exchange, I still draw 2 cards."

"She has 5 cards in hand," Ryo pointed out. "At the end of turn one she had a single card."

"Next, the effect of Orichalcos Barrier triggers," Aki pointed out. "All my monsters become DARK and gain 500 ATK (ATK: 2900)."

"And as such," Yubel pointed out, "I can inflict more damage. Come, Black Rose Dragon, attack me!" The Yubel on the field once again rose up into the air and lit up both its third eye and the dragon's eyes in orange. As a result the dragon shot purple flames at the demoness, only for the vines to re-emerge and reflect them at Aki.

"I knew you would to that," the girl replied, flipping up 2 cards. "Instant Magic: Shrink! Black Rose Dragon loses half its original ATK (ATK: 1700). Then, I activate another Instant Magic: Half Shut! I further halve the ATK of Black Rose Dragon (ATK: 850)!" The dragon's power dropped slightly as the vines wrapped around Aki, making her feel the pain as her Life Points were dragooned and Yubel's climbed.

Aki: LP 350

Yubel: LP 8300

"Even though your monster lost so much ATK," Yubel pointed out, "Regenerating Orchid still gives me back your monster's power at attack declaration. Therefore, I regain 2900 Life Points instead of 850."

"Damn it," Aki spat. "Her Life Points are more than twice their starting value!"

"And that's just the beginning," Yubel said. "I summon Critter (ATK: 1000)." Yubel was joined by a small furry monster with 3 eyes and long arms. "! Set 2 cards. End Phase, I destroy Critter to keep Yubel in play!" The small furry monster turned to dust, and then Yubel looked through her deck.

"Because you released Critter," Aki noted, "You add 1 monster of 1500 or less ATK to your hand."

"That is correct," Yubel said, holding up Spirit Demon Rose. "I end my turn."

"Draw!" Aki declared, pulling her card. "I release my Black Rose Dragon!" The dragon roared out in anger as it dissolved into white particles, making Yubel's vines and their connected Trap explode. "And I activate the Instant Magic Mystic Wok! Now, I recover its ATK onto my Life Points!"

Aki: LP 3750

Yubel: LP 8300

"I end my turn," Aki added, in a fiery tone.

"Did she… just discard her favourite card?" Yusei asked.

"When it becomes necessity," Ryo explained, remembering his duel with Samejima years prior, "people sometimes can discard that which they consider precious, if it means their survival."

"Even so…" the teenager trailed off, "…this isn't like Aki."

"Draw!" Yubel declared, again pulling 2 cards. "Magic Activate: Dark Allure." Pulling her 2 cards, she then pulled her Spirit Demon Rose from her hand and flipped it around before it warped out of her hand. "I Special Summon Torch Golem to your field (ATK: 3000, 3500) and 2 Torch Tokens to my own field (ATK: 0) (ATK: 0)."

On either side of Yubel's doppelganger, a grey rounded mechanical demon arose with a buzz saw face, one vie-like hand and a claw for the other. Then, behind Aki, a larger version of the monsters rose up, the seal's symbol forming on the blade.

"Kisama," Aki hissed, gaining only a twisted smile from Yubel and her double.

"Battle." Yubel said, the monster version rising into the air and making its eyes all light up orange. At that time, the machine demon threw its clawed fist into the monster's chest, making the shockwave strike Aki dead centre and knocking her back against the seal's barrier.

"Aki!" Yusei yelled concernedly, his girlfriend standing up and throwing him an angry stare. The boy stepped back slightly upon seeing this, the girl turning to face the demoness with a bitter scowl.

"By the effect of Regenerating Orchid," Yubel said as she glowed red, "I regain Torch Golem's ATK onto my Life Points."

Aki: LP 250

Yubel: LP 11800

"I end my turn," she then added slyly, one of the smaller demons shattering to satisfy her other's requirement.

"Draw."

* * *

"Judai… Judai…" Johan's voice echoed out. At that moment, Judai opened up his eyes to find the turquoise-haired young man standing over him, looking very concerned for his well-being. Judai's whole body ached, feeling as though he had gone a round in Hell Kaiser's old Shock-Amplifying Devices.

"Yubel…" Judai grunted out, shaking as he got onto his hand and knees. He managed to stand up weakly, leaning on the cement railing as he staggered like a drunk.

"Are you alright-don?" Kenzan's voice asked. With that Judai turned to see both Kenzan and Manjyoume standing behind him, Manjyoume with his rams crossed and Kenzan seemed nervous.

"I'll be… fine…" Judai answered, only to fall back on his knees a second later.

"I think he has a concussion," Johan explained.

"No," Manjyoume joked. "He's just always been brain-dead." All that remark got him was angry glares from both Johan and Kenzan, making him take a step back.

"Yubel…" Judai said again. "She… went to duel… Aki…" Before he could even say anything more, he got to his feet and bolted through the doors.

"Judai!" Johan yelled, and with that the three of them began to chase after Judai in whatever direction he was going.

* * *

One again Yubel began to chuckle at Aki, causing the girl to spit out in a vile tone,  
What's so funny?"

"Take a look at your hand," Yubel simply said. Aki then glanced at her right hand, still outstretched with a card face-down in its grasp, as an aura of blackness began to build up around her.

"This… can't be…" With that the seal began to glow in a radiating pattern, casting streams of green light up onto the two combatants and giving their lower faces a green tinge.

"The seal has begun to sense the true nature of your darkness," Yubel stated, amused, only to receive a snarl from Aki and a slightly-surprised look from the other two. "Judai and I are imbued with the Darkness of Justice, a force intended to keep the universe safe from the Light of Ruin. It keeps us both pure of soul and mind, and as such we are both immune to the seal's influence. You, on the other hand…"

"Stop playing mind games you sadistic bitch!" Aki bellowed, her face conveying both desperate frustration and inconsolable rage. "Get to your point."

"You feel pain because of how you were treated as a child. That's understandable. But you let it control your emotions. All the seal does is draw out that darkness and feed off of it. When you have been purified, this seal will turn a colour that better reflects you…"

"That explains why…" Yusei realized, understanding why the seal turned orange when she and Johan used it against Rudger.

"…But until then," the demoness added, "it will continue to manifest your dark side."

"Why are you doing this to me?!"

"Because it is the only way to help you." Yubel's answer was straight and honest-looking, but Aki wasn't buying it.

"It's still my turn," she pointed out, the aura of blackness growing to a flame-like state. "Magic Activate: Advanced Draw! I release Torch Golem to draw 2 cards!" The gigantic buzz saw monster then disappeared from behind Aki as she pulled two new cards. She set them both immediately, saying simply, "I set these 2 cards. Kisama no turn."

"Draw," Yubel said, pulling 2 cards and pointing at one she's already placed. "Permanent Trap Open: Dark Sewing. During my Standby Phase, I Special Summon 1 DARK Plant-type monster to your field in face-up Defence Position to draw 1 card. Return, Dark Bell Blossom (DEF: 1600)." From the ground in front of Aki shot up the blood-red flower monster Yubel played on the first turn, but with its heads furled up as though it were just blooming. In seconds it turned blue.

"What is this?" Aki asked as Yubel pulled another card. "You've set me up."

"That's the least of your concerns," Yubel sneered, chuckling darkly. "Battle."

"Trap Card Open: Holy Barrier – Mirror Force! I destroy all Attack Position monsters on the opponent's field!" A transparent barrier formed overtop of Aki's side of the field, and with that Yubel's doppelganger and her golem both exploded into shards.

"Thank you, Aki," Yubel chuckled, getting nothing in reply but another angered growl.

"Why?" she asked, irritated.

"Because when Yubel is destroyed by a card effect besides her own, she evolves to her second form…" Yubel curled up her wings around herself before warping off the field, mere seconds before a column of orange light shot up from where she had just been. Within that beam, the outline of a two-headed dragon-like creature could be seen, one whose heads hung just below the ceiling of the 40-foot-tall cathedral.

"Yubel's second form," Aki said under her breath, watching as the orange light save way to a small windstorm and revealed the new monster. Most of its body covered in black fur and either dark pink of orange scales, the monster's chest was adorned with an eye similar to the one on the base form's forehead. Its wings each had 2 claws on them, and the eyes on its many-horned heads were blood red.

"Meet Yubel – Das Abscheulich Ritter," Yubel's voice issued as the flower under its feet broke up into dust. Thorny vines shot up from the base and wrapped around the limbs of the monster like shackles, twisting together to reform the red flower between the two serpent heads. From that spawned a red aura of energy through which a female form would be observed.

"That's…" Aki said, eyes widening.

* * *

Running up to the door of the church, Judai saw through the windows that all the candles were lit; but he could not see the duel. _"Yubel's hiding it from my vision,"_ he realized, his irises changing to the golden ones of the Supreme King.

"Judai!" Johan yelled out, all three of them reaching his position. "What's going on?"

"After Aki's incident," he explained, "I decided to duel Aki to exorcise the darkness of her heart. But Yubel had other ideas…"

"Why would you take on that task-don?" Kenzan asked, looking at Judai in a judgmental fashion.

"I've dealt with the darkness in myself," the red-coated man answered. "I know about it well."

"Yubel knows it just as well," Manjyoume added. "So does Ryo, and Fubuki. Why you?"

"What the hell does it matter?!" Judai finally snapped at the black-coated man, making Manjyoume look at him like he'd just killed a man. Turning away, Judai wrenched open the doors of the church to reveal a vortex of blackness. He then simply said, "Take me to Yubel."

With that the vortex opened up into an eye like Yubel has appeared while she was just a severed arm and spirit, and then tendrils of darkness reached out and wrapped around his waist and arms. Before anyone else could react, Judai was pulled into the eye, which disappeared behind him. Then, the doors slammed shut.

"Judai!" Johan yelled in, banging on the door.

"What the hell is he doing-saurus?!" Kenzan yelled.

"Proving how stubborn he is," Manjyoume realized.

* * *

Inside the black vortex, Judai looked around at the vortex around him, seeing little more than blackness and orange glows. Without warning, bubble-like neon orbs appeared from below him to strike his chest, shattering as they exited his body. As this occurred, memories of his past experiences with Aki began to appear at the front of his mind.

"Stop screwing with me Yubel!" he finally yelled out, stretching until the black tendrils around him shattered. The image of the Supreme King, fully decorated in black armour, supermised itself over him in transparent form as he added, "I've had enough of these games! Take me to the duel!"

Suddenly, Judai began to move much more quickly through the blackness towards a light that suddenly appeared, swallowing him whole and taking him to a new location. He could then see that the location around him was a medieval-style cathedral, easily 40 feet high, which was almost completely shrouded in darkness. And as he descended to the floor and he returned to his normal appearance, he saw the green glow in the far end of the hallway, with what he saw as Das Abscheulich Ritter standing in it.

Running towards the green glow, Ryo and Yusei finally came into view. When he finally got to where they were, he was horrified to see that the seal had been emblazoned on Aki's forehead, not Yubel's as he had expected, and that thorny vines now bound Yubel's second form. But the most shocking sight was standing on the flower between the two dragon necks.

Wearing a flowing back dress, a tall tan-skinned woman with her eyes closed and long purple hair with silvery highlights stood their, an orange gem hanging from a chain on her forehead and the purple and grey Duel Disc she had worn while possessing Johan strapped to her right hand. Opening her eyes, they were revealed to be turquoise, as Judai had expected.

"Judai…" Yusei asked, not at all surprised that Judai had arrived but definitely at what he was seeing. "Who is that…?"

"That's… Yubel's true form…"

"Judai," the woman issued, her voice almost identical to Yubel's except for being softer and younger sounding. "I see you've finally arrived."

"What the hell is going on?" Judai asked, talking about everything.

"I'm trying to show Aki about how different people are on the inside than the outside." Turning back to Aki, she pointed with her now-human left hand and declared, "Battle." All 5 eyes on the dragon monster then lit up, creating a shockwave that began to shoot towards Aki's plant. Fortunately for Aki, she had a plan.

"Trap Card Open: Astral Shift! When the opponent declares an attack, I make it a direct attack to draw 1 card." The shockwave thus missed the flowering plant, striking Aki with no real effect other than that it made her aura blow around. Then, she pulled her card as the eyes of Yubel's second form stopped glowing.

"During the End Phase," Yubel declared, "I activate Yubel – as Abscheulich Ritter's effect to destroy all monsters on the field besides my monster." Roaring out loudly, the dragon monster created another shockwave that shattered the flower, forcing Aki to shield her eyes.

"Then it's my turn," Aki said "Draw! Magic Activate: Angel's Gift!" Pulling 3 more draws and looking at her cards weakly, she simply placed 2 into the Cemetery and said in a defeated tone, "I set 1 card."

"Draw," Yubel said, pulling 2 cards as the card from last turn one again slid out of the Cemetery. "I once again Special Summon Dark Bell Blossom to your field (DEF: 1600)." As with before, the demonic flower formed in front of Aki as Yubel pulled a ninth card. "Battle." Once again the eyes of the gigantic dragon demon lit up, but this time Aki responded immediately and confidently responded.

"Trap Card: Calamity of the Wicked!" When the opponent's monster attacks, I destroy all Magic & Trap Cards on the field!" A huge burst of black energy rose up from the card, slashing through all of Yubel's cards and thus making the thorny vines around Yubel's second form wilt and die.

"And now, because Regenerating Orchid left the field, I exclude Yubel – Das Abscheulich Ritter!" The entire body of the dragon-demon then burst out in a red glow as at then dissolved off the field.

"But now," Yubel said as her demonic wings sprouted to keep her from falling, "Yubel's ultimate form, Yubel – Das Extremer Traurig Drachen will now descent upon this world!" Disappearing into an orange glitter shower, another gigantic column of energy burst up from the ground that revealed a 4-winged, 2-necked dragonic beast.

"What… is that?" Aki asked in shock, only to remember from their final battle with the Dark Signers what the monster was like. From the light then emerged the monster, adorned with faces on its chest and dragon foreheads and with a devil head sporting 6 large horns. At the ground level reappeared the human Yubel, once again standing opposite Aki, with a sinister smile on her face.

"Battle," she issued, pointing at the plant as all the dragon's eyes lit up in orange and flames built up in its mouth. They then shot at Aki's plant, striking it with a barrage of fire that burned it to ash.

"By excluding Barrier Lotus from my Cemetery," Aki stated, a black flower appearing at her feet, "All effect damage is reduced to zero. Then, since my Plant was destroyed, I Special Summon Revival Rose (DEF: 0)." In place of the old plant grew up a rose-like plant which was blue by the time it returned to play.

"I activate Avarice Pot," Yubel said, her Yubel, three Evil Thorns and Torch Golem sliding from the Cemetery. She then shuffled them into her Deck and drew 2 cards. "I now set 1 card. End Phase, because I hold more than 6 cards, I now discard these three." Selecting 3 cards from her hand, she slid them into the Cemetery slot of her Duel Disc as she smiled darkly. "I end my turn."

"Not so fast," Aki decalred, flipping a card. "Instant Magic: Magic Textbook!" I start by discarding my hand. Then I draw a card, and if it is a Magic Card I can activate it." Placing her hand into the Cemetery, she reached slowly for her card and pulled it. When she looked at the card, she immediately slapped it down. "I activate Treasures of Heaven!"

"Yubel already has 6 cards in her hand," Yusei observed. "She doesn't get to draw. But Aki…"

"Gets to replace her hand," Judai nodded as Aki pulled 6 cards.

"_This... will be the end for me,"_ Aki realized, both frustrated and slightly hopeless, as she stared down at her deck. _"It's either I win this turn, or there's nothing left for me."_

"Aki!" Judai yelled out, getting the girl's attention. "You've let this dark game go far enough. The friends around you want to help you win, but you have to let them."

"My friends…" Aki whispered, her eyes changing from angered to peaceful for the first time all game. Turning back to Yubel she added, "That's right. My friends and my boyfriend believe in me. I won't let them down. Draw!"

Pulling her card, the aura of darkness that had surrounded Aki all game suddenly burst out into a beacon of white light. It shone so intensely that Yubel had to cover her face with her hand, and in mere seconds the other had to as well. When the light finally died down, the seal had changed to a reddish pink, both on the field and in Aki's forehead.

"She conquered her inner darkness," Yusei realized.

"And harnessed the light of friendship," Judai added on.

Looking at the card in her hand, Aki smiled confidently as she pulled two new ones and placed one in the Cemetery slot. "By discarding my Ivy Wall, I activate Trap Booster! From my hand I activate Call of the Living Dead! Be reborn, Black Rose Dragon!" Up from behind Aki arose the dragon from earlier in the game, which gained the pinkish seal before growling lightly.

"Next I summon Salvation Dragon – Savior Dragon (ATK: 0)!" As everyone smiled in glee, the large scarlet dragon appeared behind and above Aki, making a radiant glow that got the dragon demon to growl in anger. "Trap Activate: Level Retuner! I reduce the Level of Revival Rose from 3 to 1!"

"That can only mean…" Hell Kaiser observed.

"I tune my Level 1 Savior Dragon to my Level 7 Black Rose Dragon and my Level 1 Revival Rose!" Rising into the air, the flower dragon and the blue flower were absorbed into the body of the scarlet dragon, where they were changed into 8 white orbs that formed a vertical white column.

"A new sublime force warms the cold fames and sets the great flowers into bloom," Aki chanted. "Rise up and cast out the darkness of the soul! Synchro Summon! Rise up, Savior Rose Dragon (ATK: 3700)!" From the light emerged a new flower-like dragon, one with 4 large wings framed by thorny stems and a dual row of tall spines down its beck and tail. Its head had a trailing mane of flowers behind it, and its tail ended in 7 brambly vines.

"So this is the power of your Savior?" Yubel questioned as Aki's Signer mark lit up. The demoness seemed rather amused by the arrival of this new dragon, and impressed by it as well, but she showed no signs of fear. The dragon then let out a low growl as the pink seal appeared on its forehead, and then its power grew slightly (ATK: 4200).

"Once in one turn, Savior Rose Dragon may negate the effect of an opponent's monster form the turn. Sublime Rose Counter!" With a flap of its wings, the new dragon called up a virtual prison of vines that wrapped around the demonic monster opposite it, binding it still.

"Not a problem for me," Yubel answered calmly. "Trap Card Activate: Demon Rose! I equip this card to Das Extremer Traurig Drachen, meaning it takes no battle damage from your monsters." When the trap card flipped up, it created a red field around the demonic beast that gave it a rather invincible look, but Aki was not threatened.

"That's not an issue for me," Aki answered. "On the turn Savior Rose Dragon negates the opposing effect, it can direct attack the opposing player! Go, Savior Rose Dragon! Direct Attack Yubel! Cold Burning Rose!" The large 4-winged dragon growled as it fired a dark oink stream of flames at Yubel, making the surprised demoness cover her face as the fire consumed her. When it died out, another card had appeared on Aki's field.

"Instant Magic: Sobek's Blessing! When I direct attack the player, I recover Life equal to the damage I inflicted." Aki smiled confidently as Yubel glared back, annoyed at the move and yet enthused by the move.

Aki: LP 4450

Yubel: LP 7600

"Magic Activate: Sublimation Energy! When I control a Savior Synchro, I draw 3 cards!" Pulling her three new cards, Aki pulled one out and declared, "Equipment Magic: Savior Force! Savior Rose's effect to return it to the Extra Deck does not activate." A red aura then formed around the dragon, and Aki then placed another card down on her field. "I end my turn."

"If Aki can last 2 more turns," Yusei noted, "she's won this duel."

"She's truly a great duelist," Ryo noted, actually smiling slightly.

"Indeed," Judai nodded. "But Yubel won't take this lying down."

"So tell me Aki," Yubel said, looking directly at the calm girl before her. "You finally pushed past your fear and terror. But why was it so? How did you overcome such a powerful force?"

"With the help of my friends," Aki responded firmly. "They've helped me many times before, and now they've saved me again."

"But did you succeed because of what Judai said…" the demoness said, pausing before adding slyly, "…or for him?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, somewhat offended by the notion.

"I know Judai's feeling for you weren't entirely unnoticed." Both Judai and Aki scowled at this, and Yusei was slightly shocked at the news. "You feel for him. Not as much as for Yusei, but you do love Judai." Tears streamed down the demoness' face as she then added, "Even in a body like this, I cannot share my love for Judai with him… let alone as a Duel Monsters spirit within his heart…"

"Yubel…" Judai gasped out. "How long… how long have you felt this way…?"

"Longer than you could ever comprehend…" was Yubel's sobbed reply. It was then that everything made sense. Yubel wanted to test Aki's love for both Judai and Yusei, and to have a chance at loving Judai. That's why this had happened. And Judai had been blinded by his own desire to be the hero.

"_How long have I been blind to her pain..."_

"Draw," Yubel said, pulling a single card from her deck as the vines around her monster dissolved. Wiping her tears from her face, she then said firmly, "If I attack with my Drachen, I will destroy your Rose Dragon and return your Life Points to before."

"Guess again," Aki retorted. "When an effect to destroy Savior Rose Dragon activates, I can negate that effect and send all other cards both on the field and in either hand to the Cemetery."

"What?!" Yubel asked, almost gasping at the notion.

"Your strategy is sealed," Aki said. "It's all over."

"Yes it is," Yubel added, smiling. "For you. I release Das Extremer Traurig Drachen..." A huge gust of wind rose up as the large dragonic demon and its aura disappeared, to leave a cloud of blackness in is wake.

"What are you doing?" Aki asked in shock, not understanding the move. "You just threw out your strategy!"

"Yes, but I have a new one. Come forth: Dark Summons God (ATK: 0)!" From the darkness emerged a grey demonic entity in a red robe that had large claws and an almost skeletal face.

"And now, I activate this monster's effect. By releasing it, I Special Summon the three Phantom Demons from the Cemetery!" The winds that had been stirring around ruffled the black aura around the monster, which then turned a mixed pattern of dark blue, dull yellow and blood red.

"But they've never gone to your Cemetery!" Aki yelled out in defiance, only to remember the prior turn.

"When she tossed out three cards last turn…" Yusei remembered.

"She set up a secondary plan using her oversized hand!" Judai realized.

"Return!" Yubel yelled out, raising her arms and looking to the ceiling. "God Flame Emperor Uria! Descending Thunder Emperor Hamon! Phantom Demon Emperor Ravel!" The dark monster's body split apart into three vertical columns of red, blue and yellow that contained the silhouettes of three different creatures.

Within the red one formed a red and dark grey serpentine monster with wings for arms, a grey leathery face inside a secondary set of jaws, and a long row of spines down its back. The second was a skeletal dragon with wings stretching from its shoulders to the base of its tail, large scoops over its hands and a crossbow-like horn on its head. The third was a massive demon with large curbed talons, a huge form with large muscles and chiseled abs, and a skull-like face with a headdress-like pair of horns. All three creatures let out massive roars as they emerged from their fields, making Aki step back in terror.

"Uria's monster effect!" Yubel declared, pointing at Aki's set card. "I destroy the set card you control!" The serpent monster then roared as it released a burst of fire that struck the set card, burning it to ash right away.

"No…" Aki said.

"It's alright Aki!" Judai yelled out. "The Demons cannot attack that turn."

"No," Yusei responded nervously. "But if she's holding that card…"

"Magic Activate: Death by Dimensional Fusion!" Yubel declared, holding up the mentioned card and worrying everyone. "I exclude by three Demons to fuse them!" All three beasts then dissolved into energy that was their respective colours as well as black, fusing in a vortex near the ceiling where they turned dark as night.

"She's called it out," Judai realized. "Aki! Look out!"

"Too late Judai!" Yubel said. "Come: Chaos Phantom Demon Armityle (ATK: 0)!" From the blackness emerged the serpentine demon with the serpent's head for a left arm, large bony wings, a ribbed underside and a doubled head. Its long coil extended around the entire room several times. Its powerful roar was enough to shake the ground as Yubel smiled.

"I activate Armityle's effect to inflict 10000 Battle Damage to the opposing monster!" Bending back its own arms and head, the demon formed a purple and black orb between its shoulders that began to spiral towards Aki's dragon, kicking up wind as it went. When it finally reached the monster, it turned the dragon dark purple before finally making it dissolve.

"But…" Aki said. "By Savoir Force's effect, I revive Black Rose Dragon (ATK: 2400, 2900)." From a column of power behind her, Aki's red and black dragon returned to the field and roared out.

"Still defiant I see… such a shame it matters not. Instant Magic: Death by Dimensional Release!" With that Ryo, Yusei and Judai all took steps back as the card appeared behind Armityle, making it glow purple. "By returning Armityle to the Extra Deck, I call back all 3 Phantom Demons ignoring the Summoning Conditions!"

"What?!" Aki yelled. The serpentine demon then dissolved into purple and black energy, which then split into dark red, dull yellow and dark blue energy columns, each one revealing their respective Demons as the winds kicked up (ATK: 4000) (ATK: 4000) (ATK: 3000).

"It's… over…" Yusei stammered up.

"Hamon, attack Black Rose Dragon! Absolute Striking Thunder!" The skeletal dragon demon created an orb of lightning in the gem on its forehead, releasing a charge to the sky that rained down lightning upon the smaller plant dragon. The creature then exploded, and Aki was knocked back against the seal's dome while her points fell.

Aki: LP 2350

Yubel: LP 7600

"Uria, direct attack the player! Absolute Searing Hyperblaze!" Roaring out, the serpent formed an orb of flames in its mouth slowly as Aki covered her face in her arms. Within seconds a rain of sparks fell upon the girl, who silently accepted her defeat as the seal began to face away.

Aki: LP 0

Yubel: LP 7600

Getting to her feel, Aki smiled while the seal finally faded away and the Demons dissolved into nothingness. Yubel too smiled while her body dissolved into blackness, leaving behind only barely visible spirit as the illusion of the darkened cathedral faded away. When the church's interior had returned to normal, the others smiled and Yubel's spirit walked over to stand beside Judai.

"Yubel…" Judai said softly. "I'm so sorry… I should have paid more attention to your needs…"

"It's fine Judai," the demoness replied. "Everything is settled now. We have plenty of time to resolve this."

At that moment Aki walked over to Yusei and stepped into his open arms, the young man hugging her as they shared a light kiss. "I'm so relieved to be feeling better…" the girl said. "I've got a new lease on life."

"Good to hear," Yusei said happily, actually smiling.

"Come on," Ryo finally said, turning to face the door. "Let's get back up to the loft."

"Sounds good," Judai said as the group began to walk out of the room. Yubel's spirit stepped overtop of Judai on the way out, returning to the depths of his mind and soul as the doors swung open.

"Judai…" Johan said, surprised to see everyone. "What happened?"

"Long story," was the only answer the red-coated man gave.

***

5 hours later, Judai stood in his kitchen with a glass of scotch in his hand, Johan standing in the corner with a gin and tonic. Everyone else but Aki and Yusei had gone home for the night; only they had stuck around. "I'm sorry… about how I've been acting," Judai said after some time of silence, prompting the blunette to put his drink down and walk over to his friend.

"Don't be," Johan replied, smiling. "You're more fun this way. And besides, at least you can recognize it."

"I guess I just…" Judai said, taking a sip of his drink, "…I just feel so responsible for everything. The Yubel incident years ago, the Darkness incident a few months ago…"

"Neither of those were your fault," Johan said soothingly, putting his hand on Judai's shoulder. Judai's response was one of surprise and confusion.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Just trying to make you feel better," his friend said, closing his eyes for a second and smiling.

"But… doesn't that make you feel awkward? I mean… acting like that to another guy…"

"Not really," the green-eyed man answered. "I'm bisexual."

"Oh…" was all Judai could think to say, followed by, "I see…"

***

"Are you glad I managed to get past my fears?" Aki asked, undoing the cloth around her waist and dropping her coat to the floor.

Yusei, whose back was facing hers, took off his shirt and undid his belt as he said, "Of course. I only want what's best for you."

Slipping off his jeans, the young man was now standing in his shorts as he faced his girlfriend, who also turned around. Slipping off her garters and her shirt, she stood there in her black lace bra and thong and smiled playfully at her boyfriend. "You feel like celebrating?" she simply asked.

"Absolutely," Yusei said seductively.

**Card of the Week – Aki**

**Savior Rose Dragon**

**Attribute:** Fire

**Level:** 9

**Type(s):** [Dragon/Synchro/Effect]

**Effect:** "Salvation Dragon – Savior Dragon" + "Black Rose Dragon" + 1 non-Tuner Monster

Once per turn, negate the effect of 1 monster your opponent controls until the End Phase, and this card can attack your opponent directly that turn. If an effect that would destroy this card activates, negate that effect and send all other cards on the field and in both player's hands to the Cemetery. Return this card to the Extra Deck during the End Phase, and Special Summon 1 "Black Rose Dragon" from your Cemetery.

**ATK/** 3700

**DEF/** 2800

*And so concludes the first of my two Minifics before the big one. Review if you wish.*


End file.
